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I Will Pray for You

Debater Slayer

Vipassana
Staff member
Premium Member
Are you offended if someone tells you they'll pray for you?

Not necessarily offended, but how I perceive a prayer depends on the expressed intentions behind it. If they genuinely wish me well, of course not. If they say, "I'll pray for you" in a condescending or hateful way because I don't share their views, I don't feel offended so much as simply alienated from them due to their narrow-mindedness.

On the other hand, some theists have told me that they wanted to pray for me because they really don't want me to end up in Hell. I know they care about me, and of course that makes sense to me in the context of their beliefs. What I think of the belief itself doesn't change that these are people who are wishing the best for me from their perspective. I know what it's like to care about someone and not want them to go to Hell, since I used to hold that belief too.

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

No.

How does another's prayer affect you?

That depends on what it is about, as I said above. I appreciate expressions of goodwill and concern, so a prayer motivated by such sentiments would "affect" me by engendering positive feelings.

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

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.

Same. I generally don't see it any differently than I do wishes, whether good or ill, that someone may have for me, even if they don't express them as prayers.
 
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