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That sounds a little bit overbearing to pray for you in public, but you say they mean well.
Maybe you can make a point of talking about how you asked for prayers, lucky charms, etc. from all sorts of non-Christians sources. Then it won't be clear who deserves the credit for the prayer's "success"?
January 6, 2015 at 7:26 pm (This post was last modified: January 6, 2015 at 7:41 pm by Godscreated.)
(January 6, 2015 at 7:14 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote: That sounds a little bit overbearing to pray for you in public, but you say they mean well.
Maybe you can make a point of talking about how you asked for prayers, lucky charms, etc. from all sorts of non-Christians sources. Then it won't be clear who deserves the credit for the prayer's "success"?
Are you offering up deception because you're not sure prayer want work.
GC
(January 6, 2015 at 3:11 pm)tjakey Wrote:
I find myself in a situation where people are likely to offer prayers on my behalf, people I care about and have no desire to offend. Most of them will know I am not a believer so the first puzzle is, are they being as thoughtful about not offending me by insisting on being public about the prayer? After all, IF there really was a god for them to pray to, AND IF that god can be swayed to alter the course of events by prayer, AND IF it would do so at the urging of the believer without being concerned that the object of their prayer is not a believer, than they could offer up their prayers without mentioning it to me and get the exact same result.
If they insist on making the prayer public with my implied consent, it it likely just setting me up to offend them anyway. If things turn out well I will not be giving a god the glory. If they turn out not-so-well I will simply accept that is how life works, no god's plan involved. Either reaction is likely to offer offense, though I suspect the former more than the latter. It appears that my options are to offend by declining the public prayer in the first place, or by conceding to the prayer and then not accepting god's involvement in the second.
If the prayers being offered “for” me are being offered in the sense that I am the object, than I can appreciate the sentiment and let it go at that. Such rituals are a socially acceptable method for showing concern and support. But if the prayer is offered “for” me in the sense that they are doing something that I should be doing for myself, then a different reflection is in play, with the inference being that I am being deficient in my caring about the situation and so am somehow in their debt. A debt best repaid by acknowledging the effectiveness and caring intervention of their god.
As with all things religious, there is often some ulterior motive for the “good” things that they do.
Anyway, people will do what they want, and I am going to assume the best for most of the people involved. They really do care, but - I suspect - some will also be offended no matter how much I would like for that not to happen.
This had the potential to be a difficult enough time without adding unintended offences to the mix. In this case even the best of religious intentions is as likely to do nothing but add just that little bit more difficulty.
I offer pray because I care, why would I pray for someone otherwise. To try and fool God and doing it for brownie points would be ridiculous and Christians know this. You say these people care for you so why would you doubt their sincerity. What do you mean by public prayer for you?
GC
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
(January 6, 2015 at 7:14 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote: That sounds a little bit overbearing to pray for you in public, but you say they mean well.
Maybe you can make a point of talking about how you asked for prayers, lucky charms, etc. from all sorts of non-Christians sources. Then it won't be clear who deserves the credit for the prayer's "success"?
Are you offering up deception because you're not sure prayer want work.
GC
(January 6, 2015 at 3:11 pm)tjakey Wrote:
I find myself in a situation where people are likely to offer prayers on my behalf, people I care about and have no desire to offend. Most of them will know I am not a believer so the first puzzle is, are they being as thoughtful about not offending me by insisting on being public about the prayer? After all, IF there really was a god for them to pray to, AND IF that god can be swayed to alter the course of events by prayer, AND IF it would do so at the urging of the believer without being concerned that the object of their prayer is not a believer, than they could offer up their prayers without mentioning it to me and get the exact same result.
If they insist on making the prayer public with my implied consent, it it likely just setting me up to offend them anyway. If things turn out well I will not be giving a god the glory. If they turn out not-so-well I will simply accept that is how life works, no god's plan involved. Either reaction is likely to offer offense, though I suspect the former more than the latter. It appears that my options are to offend by declining the public prayer in the first place, or by conceding to the prayer and then not accepting god's involvement in the second.
If the prayers being offered “for” me are being offered in the sense that I am the object, than I can appreciate the sentiment and let it go at that. Such rituals are a socially acceptable method for showing concern and support. But if the prayer is offered “for” me in the sense that they are doing something that I should be doing for myself, then a different reflection is in play, with the inference being that I am being deficient in my caring about the situation and so am somehow in their debt. A debt best repaid by acknowledging the effectiveness and caring intervention of their god.
As with all things religious, there is often some ulterior motive for the “good” things that they do.
Anyway, people will do what they want, and I am going to assume the best for most of the people involved. They really do care, but - I suspect - some will also be offended no matter how much I would like for that not to happen.
This had the potential to be a difficult enough time without adding unintended offences to the mix. In this case even the best of religious intentions is as likely to do nothing but add just that little bit more difficulty.
I offer pray because I care, why would I pray for someone otherwise. To try and fool God and doing it for brownie points would be ridiculous and Christians know this. You say these people care for you so why would you doubt their sincerity. What do you mean by public prayer for you?
GC
I only pray for my family to give them some peace of mind because if i don't they bitch about many things so i go out my way and do it for their sake's not even mine. Prayer for one is selfish if you ask for something its not if you wan't to make sure your family friends etc are okay.
(January 6, 2015 at 7:14 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote: That sounds a little bit overbearing to pray for you in public, but you say they mean well.
Maybe you can make a point of talking about how you asked for prayers, lucky charms, etc. from all sorts of non-Christians sources. Then it won't be clear who deserves the credit for the prayer's "success"?
Are you offering up deception because you're not sure prayer want work.
GC
I'm not sure what you are asking. I think there is a typo in your question.
January 6, 2015 at 11:44 pm (This post was last modified: January 6, 2015 at 11:46 pm by Godscreated.)
(January 6, 2015 at 9:43 pm)dyresand Wrote:
(January 6, 2015 at 7:26 pm)Godschild Wrote: Are you offering up deception because you're not sure prayer want work.
GC
I offer pray because I care, why would I pray for someone otherwise. To try and fool God and doing it for brownie points would be ridiculous and Christians know this. You say these people care for you so why would you doubt their sincerity. What do you mean by public prayer for you?
GC
I only pray for my family to give them some peace of mind because if i don't they bitch about many things so i go out my way and do it for their sake's not even mine. Prayer for one is selfish if you ask for something its not if you wan't to make sure your family friends etc are okay.
You pray to what, the FSM, hows that working out.
GC
(January 6, 2015 at 10:26 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote:
(January 6, 2015 at 7:26 pm)Godschild Wrote: Are you offering up deception because you're not sure prayer want work.
GC
I'm not sure what you are asking. I think there is a typo in your question.
You were suggesting an option to the real prayer working so no one will know which worked. I hope that's better.
GC
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
(January 6, 2015 at 9:43 pm)dyresand Wrote: I only pray for my family to give them some peace of mind because if i don't they bitch about many things so i go out my way and do it for their sake's not even mine. Prayer for one is selfish if you ask for something its not if you wan't to make sure your family friends etc are okay.
You pray to what, the FSM, hows that working out.
GC
(January 6, 2015 at 10:26 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote: I'm not sure what you are asking. I think there is a typo in your question.
You were suggesting an option to the real prayer working so no one will know which worked. I hope that's better.
January 7, 2015 at 7:46 am (This post was last modified: January 7, 2015 at 8:05 am by watchamadoodle.)
(January 6, 2015 at 11:44 pm)Godschild Wrote: You were suggesting an option to the real prayer working so no one will know which worked. I hope that's better.
GC
Of course we know that prayer never "works", but the result requested in the prayer might happen naturally, and then the OP might be expected to thank Yahweh for "answering" the prayer.
So if he OP makes a show of requesting help from all kinds of supernatural sources, then maybe the Christians friends will be less likely to expect the OP to thank Yahweh for "answering" the prayer. Maybe the OP can thanks Yahweh, Thor, Lucifer, the lucky rabbit's foot, ... (Of course I know this wouldn't actually work - just making a silly suggestion.)
Realistically, maybe the OP will be so happy after a successful outcome that giving some acknowledgement to Christian friends and their God for imaginary assistance will seem trivial?
More often than not, I think prayers are offered in lieu of an otherwise uncomfortable silence. I'm sure we have all been through an instance wherein something bad happens to someone we care about and everything we want to say sounds trite and cliche. (I think prayer is trite and cliche, but somehow it has become society's acceptable version of 'I have nothing to say.') Therefore, assuming that the prayer is due to genuine care (not the condescending nature of 'I'll pray for your flaming soul in the pits of hell, you heathen') I generally just thank people for their thoughts.
However, for those who know me a little better, I usually ask if they will sacrifice a chicken for me as well. After all, I see those as being equally productive.
![[Image: heathens-guide.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.theheathensguide.com%2Fheathens-guide.png)
