Deep Thoughts: The assault of prayer

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The assault of prayer

I don’t care if Christians pray. I don’t care if they think prayer can solve world hunger, end wars, or heal the sick. I don’t care if they pray together or pray alone. I do not care about prayer in the same way that I do care about masturbation. Prayer, like masturbation, is a personal thing. Where I start to care, no wait, where I violently appose prayer, is when Christians ask to pray with me. I view it in the same way I would if somebody asked me to watch them jack off. Um, no thanks.

Take lunch yesterday. I have a spot that I enjoy once or twice a week. I’m such a regular that the owner will boot people from my table if I walk in to find it occupied. This happened yesterday with a 80-year-old man. I vetoed the owner asking him to move, but my kindness was repaid with the insult and assault of prayer. He came over to my table when my delicious campechana arrived and offered to pray over my meal with me. I stood up, looked him in the eye and said, “That’s not going to happen. Mind you damn business.”

I cannot figure out what possess complete strangers to offer prayer like this. I eat at this restaurant because I can sit at my table and eat in glorious peace and quiet. I don’t even have to talk. Unless I say something, my normal meal appears like magic. The disruption of a shared prayer is the exact opposite social experience I’m looking for. Christians of the world, just stop this nonsense.

How do you handle these unwanted prayer assaults?

Technorati Tags: Praying,Christians

Comments (16)

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believe2 45p · 811 weeks ago

People have a right to pray in public if they want. I can see why you would get upset, if the old man wanted to pray over you food. I would get upset to. I do not pray in public, it is a personal thing to me. Some people take it to serioius.

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mikespeir · 811 weeks ago

I vacillate over this one. When I'm at my parents' house and they say grace, I usually bow my head along with them. But they're people I know and respect. My actions reflect a respect for them, not their religion. A perfect stranger or even somebody I didn't know well? I probably wouldn't react with the hostility you did. I would politely decline--unless they became obnoxious with it.

2 replies · active 811 weeks ago

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believe2 45p · 811 weeks ago

I agree with you totally.

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Mojoey 107p · 811 weeks ago

When I'm with family I play nice. I'm quiet and respectful. I've tried to be polite too. It usually starts a conversation I would rather not have.

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Baconsbud 96p · 811 weeks ago

I don't have a problem with what you did. Myself I have never had anything like this happen, I guess they worst I have had happen is they say they will pray for me. I don't see bowing your head because someone is praying as respect. I never bow my head for others desire to speak to the air.

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Julie · 811 weeks ago

I depends on the situation, I agree with mikespeir about respecting your family, not the religion. However in your case I understand your anger. I probably would have smiled and said, " no thank you," but then if they persisted I would either welcome some sort of debate or tell him to piss off depending on his demeanor and my mood. I guess it would just depend on his reaction to my "no thanks."

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Anjie · 811 weeks ago

I find it difficult to keep my mouth shut when people offer to pray for me. Just the other day a woman told me that I should not have had surgery (i broke my wrist/hand and a year later was still not able to bend my fingers/wrist due to major complications) because her and her husband were praying for me and god would have healed me.

I had to not focus on not laughing at her. Since this person is a business associate I am not sure if I should ever out myself to her. Now when a friend says they will pray for me I openly laugh at them.

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john_poson26 93p · 811 weeks ago

I would have done almost the same thing. I’ve been in these same situation a few times myself. I just try not to become too aggressive with these delusional folks. However; it’s one thing when they want to fuckup your meal. It’s another when they start praying over your kids, unsolicited! We had one Christian, get down on her knees next to our infant son, in a Safeway store, and start pleading, the ” blood Jesus” over him.

We just stood there looking at each other, in a state of disbelief.

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Hank · 811 weeks ago

I don't know...I think the way you describe it makes you look petty and hostile. A simple and dismissive, "No thanks," probably would have sufficed. Had he persisted, then I'd have responded more forcefully. Tolerance goes both ways and we can't always identify the beliefs of strangers without at least one preliminary question or statement.

Not that I'm the expert on this, but I find that saying, "I don't subscribe to any of the popular mythologies," is enough to get the message across. They have to process a statement like that for a few seconds and then they grok it. Most are polite and move on. If they get aggressive then I would respond in kind, but I haven't had that situation happen yet.

Obligatory anecdotal support - I have a friend at work who, about once every six months, mentions to me how we're here to love and serve god. I tell him I'm not troubled by such delusions. He feels just as sorry for me as I do for him. I find that humorous.

My two cents.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Mojoey 107p · 811 weeks ago

Yes. I don't feel good about how I handled it. I'm not sure why I reacted like a dick. I could have handled it much better.

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DancingFoolVB 12p · 811 weeks ago

Praying for someone who doesn't want it is a form of disrespect of that person's individual space and personal sovereignty. It may be softer than a physical attack, being verbal, but it is nevertheless an attack, a form of violence. If done publicly, it can also incorporate elements of an attempt to embarrass, either by pressuring you to do their thing or by evoking a nasty response, which they regard as proof that you are wrong.

Besides, I believe that prayer "for something", whether for wealth for yourself or health for another, is a perversion of the power or prayer. These are really exercises in self-importance which reinforce one's allegiance to an ideology.

For me, prayer is about me connecting with my higher self (or god or all that is or whatever). Not something that others can do for me or even to me.

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Jack 119p · 811 weeks ago

I might point out that their bible condemns public prayer and those who engage in it.

1 reply · active 811 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 811 weeks ago

I'm never that quick on my feet.

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Dromedary Hump · 811 weeks ago

"... when Christians ask to pray with me. I view it in the same way I would if somebody asked me to watch them jack off. Um, no thanks. "

OMG..I just found the perfect replacement retort for "Yeah, you pray be me and I''ll think for you."

"Sure, you pray for me, I'll masturbate to a picture of your wife for you."

Thanks Mojoey, I couldn't have thought of this without you!

Hump

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dromedaryhump · 811 weeks ago

thats it!!!
from now on when they say "I'll pray for you." my answer is going to be:'Yeah, you oray for mme, meanwhile i'll masturbate to a picture of your wife for you."

Thanks Mojoey, I couldn't have come up with that w/out you.
Hump

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Anna Renee · 811 weeks ago

Im a Christian and never get strangers coming up to me to pray over me, or over my food in restaurants! Im jealous!
You know how it is when you buy a car, say a BMW, then strangely, you start noticing every BMW, but before you bought that car, you hardly noticed BMWs? ;-)

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