I Will Pray for You

[SalixIncendium]

Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

Would you be offended if someone asks if they could pray for you?

How does another's prayer affect you?

There could be someone praying for you at this very moment. Are you offended?

Personally, I have no problem with someone praying for me. Their prayer is about them; it's not about me. I've had lots of people tell me they'll pray for me. I don't recall ever having been harmed by it.

I struggle to understand why people are so concerned about what others are doing.

 

[ChristineM]

If people felt that strongly that they would like to pray for me, I'd tell them not to bother but do something useful instead like donating a little cash to a worthy charity.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Nope. They can do what they want.

 

[SalixIncendium]

If people felt that strongly that they would like to pray for me, I'd tell them not to bother but do something useful instead like donating a little cash to a worthy charity.

What if they disregarded your request and prayed anyway?

 

[Eddi]

I think it's a nice thing for someone to do for you, to petition their God for you

Before I believed in God it didn't bother me, I never felt it amounted to them forcing their God onto me

Theists are theists and I'm happy to let them be theists

 

[Altfish]

Not offended, because the person who does it thinks they are helping.
But it does make me think that people who say it are devoid of a practical solutions to an issue.

 

[ChristineM]

What if they disregarded your request and prayed anyway?

That would make sense, showing it's for their own ego.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

Would you be offended if someone asks if they could pray for you?

How does another's prayer affect you?

There could be someone praying for you at this very moment. Are you offended?

Personally, I have no problem with someone praying for me. Their prayer is about them; it's not about me. I've had lots of people tell me they'll pray for me. I don't recall ever having been harmed by it.

I struggle to understand why people are so concerned about what others are doing.

I don't have a problem with it, but I have seen instances where it seemed to be offered as a jab. As if the other's position was so terribly wrong, that rather than address them rationally with a sound response, it seemed to be used as a dismissal of the obviously misguided without demonstrating that.

If there is a way to abuse something, people will find it.

Overall though, I think it has a net positive potential.

 

[SalixIncendium]

But it does make me think that people who say it are devoid of a practical solutions to an issue.

Not all issues have practical solutions.

 

[Altfish]

Not all issues have practical solutions.

But 'praying' is not a solution either.

 

[Subduction Zone]

It would totally depend upon how the phrase was used.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I don't have a problem with it, but I have seen instances where it seemed to be offered as a jab. As if the other's position was so terribly wrong, that rather than address it rationally, it seemed to used as a dismissal of the obviously misguided without demonstrating that.

I once debated a preacher IRL about evolution. He was convinced I was wrong and did tell me he'd pray for me. I wasn't offended, because I knew I wasn't wrong. He may have intended to be condescending, but it didn't matter to me if he did or not.

Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I just don't understand how people can be offended by it even if people mean it in a condescending way. The way I see it, if they're using prayer to be condescending or to insult someone, they're probably not very good people anyway, and I figure at some point they'll answer to their god for it.

 

[Eddi]

It would totally depend upon how the phrase was used.

Yes

If someone said it in a condescending tone I would want to smack them

But if they were being nice and genuine then that would be nice

 

[Erebus]

If somebody wants to pray for my general wellbeing then fair enough. I don't see it as being any different than wishing somebody luck.

I think I've only ever had a couple of people pray for me in a passive aggressive way. I personally find it more amusing than irritating because it makes me think of this comic:

 

[danieldemol]

Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

I'm not offended easily, however some prayers are designed to be offensive - eg "I'll pray to Jesus for you to see the light you misguided wretch" or suitable equivalent. So that I don't take offense says more about me than the intentions of the prayer maker.

Would you be offended if someone asks if they could pray for you?

No.

How does another's prayer affect you?

If it contains ad-hominem particularly amongst a mob that are likely to become stirred up to violence due to their indoctrinated sentiments and brainwashing it could potentially end my life.

There could be someone praying for you at this very moment. Are you offended?

No, because I live in a secular country where prayers which contain hate-speech are likely to be ignored.

Personally, I have no problem with someone praying for me. Their prayer is about them; it's not about me. I've had lots of people tell me they'll pray for me. I don't recall ever having been harmed by it.

I struggle to understand why people are so concerned about what others are doing.

I too have never been harmed by a person's prayers.

 

[McBell]

Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

Would you be offended if someone asks if they could pray for you?

How does another's prayer affect you?

There could be someone praying for you at this very moment. Are you offended?

No
No
No
No

Personally, I have no problem with someone praying for me. Their prayer is about them; it's not about me. I've had lots of people tell me they'll pray for me. I don't recall ever having been harmed by it.

I struggle to understand why people are so concerned about what others are doing.

I agree.
If someone wants to pray for me, I say let them.
No skin off my back.

Even those who say they will pray for me as some sort of insult, if praying for me will make them feel better, by all means, pray away.

 

[Orbit]

Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

Would you be offended if someone asks if they could pray for you?

How does another's prayer affect you?

There could be someone praying for you at this very moment. Are you offended?

Personally, I have no problem with someone praying for me. Their prayer is about them; it's not about me. I've had lots of people tell me they'll pray for me. I don't recall ever having been harmed by it.

I struggle to understand why people are so concerned about what others are doing.

It depends on the situation. If someone says "I'll pray for you" as a response to finding out I'm not a Christian, I do find that offensive. In other situations, I really don't care; they can do what they want.

 

[Left Coast]

Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

Would you be offended if someone asks if they could pray for you?

How does another's prayer affect you?

There could be someone praying for you at this very moment. Are you offended?

Personally, I have no problem with someone praying for me. Their prayer is about them; it's not about me. I've had lots of people tell me they'll pray for me. I don't recall ever having been harmed by it.

I struggle to understand why people are so concerned about what others are doing.

I'm gay, and I've been told by people I know that they'll pray for me in a context that makes it clear that they're praying for me to be straight or "repent" of my "lifestyle." That's annoying, since there's nothing wrong with gayness.

If people say they'll pray for me with genuine good will, then I think it's nice.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

Depends on the context.

Would you be offended if someone asks if they could pray for you?

Nope.

How does another's prayer affect you?

Not much.

There could be someone praying for you at this very moment. Are you offended?

Nope.

I struggle to understand why people are so concerned about what others are doing.

Because concerning yourself with what other people are doing seems to be a part of life.

It may be possible to transcend it, but that takes effort. And not everyone likes 'work'.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I once debated a preacher IRL about evolution. He was convinced I was wrong and did tell me he'd pray for me. I wasn't offended, because I knew I wasn't wrong. He may have intended to be condescending, but it didn't matter to me if he did or not.

Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I just don't understand how people can be offended by it even if people mean it in a condescending way. The way I see it, if they're using prayer to be condescending or to insult someone, they're probably not very good people anyway, and I figure at some point they'll answer to their god for it.

I think that may have been the intent in some instances I have observed where it seemed to be expressed in an attempt to insult. But I agree, it seems a 'so what' for those that don't see value or need in prayer.

I think most people would offer it positively and others would recognize it for the context in which it is offered without taking offense. But if some do, they can explain their feelings to the person offering it I suppose.