Praying for others?

[socialchameleon]

I've been reading a few threads on here during my lunch hour at work and noticed one person commenting on the Christians they work with in the U.S.A.

Very quickly, a fellow co-worker who was Christian was shocked that her colleague (an Atheist) did not believe in the concept of hell or the idea of religion. The Christian co-worker apparently said this made her "sad" and that she would pray for her Atheist colleague.

I'm confused why a Christian would see the need to pray for a person who does not believe in religion.

Do Christians believe that by praying for another, this will lead to the "non believer" avoiding a fiery eternal existence in Hell ? Or are they praying for that person to demonstrate humility and a caring nature to others for the purposes of their own god / "assent to Heaven "?

Hopefully a Christian (or otherwise) reading this will be able to give me a bit of in sight?

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Apologies I seem to have inadvertantly rated my own thread as 5 stars

I assure you this was by accident and not over conifdence in my topic

[Edwardo Piet]

Since it's possible to rate yourself 5 star, I don't see as you really have to apologize in any way. I've done it myself to be honest, when I think my topic is a good one, and if others disagree and think it's shit they can just lower it lol. Since it's actually available to vote for yourself you might as well if you so wish lol. Since it's within the rules...

Anyway, I'd be interetested to know the Christian response too. I think when they do that they are perhaps doing something like - praying that the atheist will 'see the light' and 'find God'. As if it would influence them somehow.

EvF

[Eilonnwy]

Honestly if a Christian wants to pray for me to see the light, so to speak, it doesn't bother me. Pray all you want. It's you wasting your time, not mine.

Matt Dilahunty, who does a TV show in Austin TX often takes calls from Christians who try to debate him, and at the end when a caller ends a phone call with "I'll pray for you" (usually after abysmally losing the debate) he replies "I'll think for you."

[Edwardo Piet]

That respone by matt is awesome.

And my attitude is also exactly the same Elionnwy, I always say to them "You want to pray for me? Go ahead! Knock your socks off! It makes no difference to me!"

EvF

[leo-rcc]

It depends on the situation. If someone that knows I'm an atheist says he'll pray for me after an argument he is just an arrogant self righteous prick. If someone says he'll pray for me if I'm sick and the sentiment is genuine, I have no problem with that. I would ask him if he will sacrifice a chicken and sprinkle the blood in a pentagram for me too, but that is just me.

[Edwardo Piet]

On that note, it reminds me of Dan Dennett's response, which I love - on the matter of when he had almost died from a heart attack (and it's my bolding by the way):

[...] messages from my family and from friends around the world have been literally heart-warming in my case, and I am grateful for the boost in morale (to truly manic heights, I fear!) that it has produced in me. But I am not joking when I say that I have had to forgive my friends who said that they were praying for me. I have resisted the temptation to respond "Thanks, I appreciate it, but did you also sacrifice a goat?" I feel about this the same way I would feel if one of them said "I just paid a voodoo doctor to cast a spell for your health." What a gullible waste of money that could have been spent on more important projects! Don't expect me to be grateful, or even indifferent. I do appreciate the affection and generosity of spirit that motivated you, but wish you had found a more reasonable way of expressing it.

Link to full article here: http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/dennett0...index.html

[bozo]

Christians pray for atheists because it gives them a sense of superiority and allows them to feel pity for the subject of their prayer.
If anybody offered to pray for me I'd tell em to save their breath and shove their smugness where the sun don't shine.

[fr0d0]

Personally I can't remember ever saying such a thing, so maybe I'm not a good person to answer.

If a Christian believes that praying achieves something, which I think all of them do, then they are genuinely thinking that they're helping.

In the example above, I guess what they're doing is advertising their belief. "Look at me this is something great I do in my club".

As a non believer I found it incredibly insulting/ extremely condescending to be on the receiving end, and regarded it as incredibly insensitive of the person.

Of course that's another intended reaction.. to 'heap coals' onto the aggressors head to convince them of their sin.

To be boastful would be in error.

HTH

[dry land fish]

They pray for God to show them the way. It's useless and a waste of time but in Christianity you pray for the so called "lost".

I agree with Bozo....a lot of them do it because for the most part it makes them feel good about themselves and makes them feel "special". As if they are enlightened because some imaginary being loves them more than the person they are praying for. I usually do tell them not to waste their time unless they are a friend of mine that I like. I think that my co worker that said she'd pray for me did it because she cares about me and she really believes that her praying for me will work. She's an older lady and she truly believes there is a God and that I'll burn for eternity. I'm not going to try to change her mind or even be rude to her about it. Some of them like to tell people they are going to hell because again it makes them feel enlightened. Then they will say that to their friends and family because they are seriously worried about their "salvation" because they just don't know any better. They don't ever realize how annoying and sometimes hurtful it can be for a Christian to say those things to an Atheist. When I've been around a large number of Christians and they all ganged up on me I felt like a rat in a cage and that they were smothering me. I'ts not a good feeling.

[socialchameleon]

Thanks for your responses guys. I think you have all generally mentioned the things I was thinking myself.

@dry land fish

When you say "…she really believes that her praying for me will work". What do you mean by work?

This is the bit I don't quite understand you see.

If a religious person takes it upon themselves to pray for a 'none believer', what do they gain from it? Does the intended "prey target" then go to heaven or have the "sins" removed?

I have a feeling it is a more self righteous act on behalf of the religious so they can feel satisfied and smug, that they have performed their duty to their god.

Essentially "praying for you" appears to be masqueraded as a selfless act from a religious person when in fact I feel it is completely the opposite of this. It's actually performed for their own benefits or gains to their chosen deity.

I was still hoping to gain a Christian response on this and Christians perusing this post are more than welcome to let me know what they think. Hopefully someone will?