I think that the "thoughts and prayers" talk is much like a magical incantation.  I'm actually quite tired of people waiting for God to work miracles, while they sit on their duffs, or continue life as normal.  One would think that all of the "holy people" who form the "morality police" would be warning the "thoughts and prayers" crowd against unduly relying on God's merciful love -- I don't know the proper translation into English of a phrase that I learned only in Ukrainian, but it's the idea of demanding that God perform miracles to prove love for us.
I find truly offensive the idea that God is supposed to fix all of the problems that we continue to create, and that we are not to be inconvenienced by making any effort ourselves -- such as with the gun laws.  
I just read somewhere that some pastor of a mega church said that his members come to services armed and ought to shoot back if someone starts shooting.  I wonder how many innocents would die in such a free-for-all. 
Cont'd