I will pray for you

brbr
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I have heard this phrase bandied about by tons of people lately and I have three questions as a result.



1) Do you actually follow through and really pray for every goddamn person you tell that phrase to?



2) Do you actually thing it's going to make a lick of difference?



3) If god is so goddamn great and has this badass plan, isn't it a bit arrogant to proclaim you know better and pray for something that seemingly isn't in this vast right wing conspiracy errr god's plan? (damn all these crazy threads have me all mixed up!)





Of course, many of you know my opinion. I'll just sum it up with this bumper sticker.



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Man! you are a pill.
  • Reply 2 of 17
    brbr Posts: 8,395member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    Man! you are a pill.



    Well if you don't follow through and pray or you don't think praying makes a difference and you do anyway it's a real cheap, worthless sentiment to give to people then.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Tell ya BR. If I win the lottery I'll give you half. It'll cheer you up.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BR

    Well if you don't follow through and pray or you don't think praying makes a difference and you do anyway it's a real cheap, worthless sentiment to give to people then.



    And this is different from the vast majority of sentiments expressed, *how* again?



    Transplant to the South, I am. When people ask you here "How are you today?" they get offended when you actually tell them. No, instead the ritual formula is "Fine, and you?" Anything else is considered rude, apparently. *I* consider it rude to mouth inane platitudes because it's "what you do", when all it really does is waste people's time and create a false sense of community that lets them feel better about stabbing each other in the back.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    God, I hate people who preach from their rear bumper. I just look at cars like that and wonder why the owner thinks they're so damn superior and why they think anything as trite as a bumper sticker would carry any influence.
  • Reply 6 of 17
    thuh freakthuh freak Posts: 2,664member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kickaha

    And this is different from the vast majority of sentiments expressed, *how* again?



    Transplant to the South, I am. When people ask you here "How are you today?" they get offended when you actually tell them. No, instead the ritual formula is "Fine, and you?" Anything else is considered rude, apparently. *I* consider it rude to mouth inane platitudes because it's "what you do", when all it really does is waste people's time and create a false sense of community that lets them feel better about stabbing each other in the back.




    I very much agree. I make a deliberate point of not asking people these annoying questions, and I am oft to become annoyed when asked. I find that many people do seek full answers though. When I say like 'fine', some people are like, "well what did you do today," and on and on with the mindless banter. Like they really care or it makes a bit of difference to them or in their life.



    Then again, i know many people who dont care for the full answer either. while i'm writing this, a coworker goes: "What goin on?" as he walks away from the area. I reply, "Nothin'" as I'm certain he can't even hear me anymore.



    -



    As for the praying, I think some devout people do actually pray when they say they will. When I was a christian I would.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    i will pray for this thread to prevent it from degenerating.
  • Reply 8 of 17
    Let's just hope that religion dies out completely over the next millenium.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Powerdoc

    i will pray for this thread to prevent it from degenerating.



    Too late.
  • Reply 10 of 17
    enaena Posts: 667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BR

    3) If god is so goddamn great and has this badass plan, isn't it a bit arrogant to proclaim you know better and pray for something that seemingly isn't in this vast right wing conspiracy errr god's plan?





    BR, Who is pissing in your cheerios?



    Determinism, or maybe Fatalism---whichever it is, I haven't had my coffee yet---is just a bit silly here. Most religions believe that you have at least a perception of freedom in what you do---you would think it would be natural for someone to try to effect change along the lines of prayer.





    I would submit, my theologically challenged threadmate, that you have tried it yourself from time to time---although God sometimes says "No" or "Not right now"---I wouldn't discount it's use.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BuonRotto

    God, I hate people who preach from their rear bumper. I just look at cars like that and wonder why the owner thinks they're so damn superior and why they think anything as trite as a bumper sticker would carry any influence.



    /me hides his white Apple sticker
  • Reply 12 of 17
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    I bet he's upset because, in my experience, when people say they will pray for you it is usually a passive-aggressive form of putting folks down. It implies higher moral authority, and it has, in almost every instance I've seen it used, had an intolerable smugness.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    /me hides his white Apple sticker



    Stickers like the Apple logo, those little VT stickers or even the fish thing don't bother me as much as the ones like the "My Savior is a Jewish Carpenter," the Darwin fish with legs thing, "Keep Abortion Legal," or "Abortion Stops a Beating Heart" ones. They're either trying to piss you off or preach in a very overt and obnoxious way. Having "This Car Climbed Mt. Washington" on your car isn't really aproblem. Well, maybe the Apple logo is borderline, knowing the intentions.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    giaguaragiaguara Posts: 2,724member
    i don't like to be prayed for either. i find unrequested being prayed for me even and especially by the people i know, being like stepping too close to my zone. for just underlining your saintness by showing me how much you pray and how holy you are, but it still disturbs me.



    has anyone ever made a court case of being prayed for? being prayed for someone else is religious dicriminating, especially if the prayer is of an other religion or clan, and obviously is convinced her or his clan is right and all the other religions not.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    chinneychinney Posts: 1,019member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mrmister

    I bet he's upset because, in my experience, when people say they will pray for you it is usually a passive-aggressive form of putting folks down. It implies higher moral authority, and it has, in almost every instance I've seen it used, had an intolerable smugness.



    I agree. That's why I don't say it to people, at least not directly. But that shouldn't and does not prevent one from doing it.
  • Reply 16 of 17
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    "has anyone ever made a court case of being prayed for?"



    No, because that would be stupid.



    "being prayed for someone else is religious dicriminating, especially if the prayer is of an other religion or clan, and obviously is convinced her or his clan is right and all the other religions not."



    It isn't dicrimination until people act against you in some manner--praying for people is simply an expression of religion, even if it annoys people.
  • Reply 17 of 17
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Flamebait, should've got it earlier.
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