"I Will Pray for You"

Debater Slayer said:

Sure, do it. Some atheists, especially self-identified "strong atheists," are offended by this sentence, but I don't mind it at all. I actually appreciate it, just like I appreciate when a believer says, "God be with you."

Why would I appreciate those phrases despite being an anti-religious atheist? Because these are often sincere expressions of good will on the believer's part. When a Muslim tells me that they hope Allah helps me with something, or they wish that Allah "guides" me to the right path, I take little to no offense because these prayers actually represent the epitome of what the average Muslim considers to be good and desirable. They are not wishing me harm; they are wishing me the very best thing according to their beliefs.

So, by all means, pray for me if you would like. I'm not going to mind it. Quite the contrary, actually; I tend to appreciate it when it is done with sincerity.

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I have multiple feelings about people praying for me. If someone says "God will help you out" I have to pause and translate my definitjon of god. I hear it a lot where I live. If someone says "I pray for you" thats a bit easier because I try hard not to jump to conclusions they are talking about a Creator. Now that I am going back to my ancestral faith, when I hear my friends say "I'll chant for you" I kinda feel the same. But with them I know exactly their belief and I dont need to translate.

I just get irritated when anyone assumes I am Christian by not only saying they will pray for me, theyd say "and you know god is watching over you. You believe in God dont you? You know he is watching over us"

If I said our ancestors are watching over us, which they are, theyd be unerved to. Other than that, all good will as you said.

Augustus said:

Sometimes I get people asking me to pray for them, as in "I've got a job interview tomorrow, pray for me ya".

This always confuses me, I'm not sure if I should say "of course", or "I wish you the best of luck".

It should probably be the former, but I usually go with the latter.

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Ooooh...yeah. I've had that one too! I always feel slightly sorry for them, since if there is a God, a prayer from me is unlikely to help...lol
I go the same way as you, and say something like 'I'll be thinking of you', or similar.

I'd never say that I was going to pray for them though. Not that it's a big deal, but would feel like a needless lie.

Nobody has ever asked me to pray for them. But if someone did I might say, "I am confident that you will do just fine!"

I usually feel sorry for people who want to pray for me, but I am not offended by it through, I am more amused by it.

Adramelek said:

A Christian friend of mine just last night said to me, "may God watch over you tonight and always". It doesn't bother me at all, I found it to be a sign of her affection for me.

Darkest Blessings.
/Adramelek\

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Think you might be right about her.

Debater Slayer said:

.......

So, by all means, pray for me if you would like. I'm not going to mind it. Quite the contrary, actually; I tend to appreciate it when it is done with sincerity.

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Peace be on you. May Allah Who has all the noble attributes, grant you the best of health and wealth of all kind... Aameen.

I have experienced several evanglist direct "I will pray for you" at me in a less than pleasant tone after I negate their rehearsed arguments.

Often times abrahamcis will pray for others to convert to their deity.

If they think that it will have an effect on your desicion, does that mean that they wish to manipulate your will?

DawudTalut said:

Peace be on you. May Allah Who has all the noble attributes, grant you the best of health and wealth of all kind... Aameen.

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See, this sort of prayer? I'd never have a problem with this sort of prayer.

As a Satanist, your prayers mean nothing to me. If you seriously feel bad for my situation and wish to help me then your actions in doing something about it will have meaning to me. Praying for me is only doing good for you. Your prayers don't effect me, it psychologically effects you. If someone prays for me I don't have a problem with them nor will I be offended as long as it's "friendly". If it's not friendly then I'll be offended for sure. It's like what 1137 said, there is nothing friendly about saying "I'll pray for you" in the same means of calling them a lost cause, evil or stupid and only god can help. That's just asking for trouble.

I will not accept your beliefs, I will only accept you if you accept me. Your religion is not important to me. How you treat me is important to me. My advice to those who pray is don't tell people "I'll pray for you" because you never know who believes in what and for some of us, we will get offended and some of us won't. Be respectful and keep it to yourself and do your prayers in private with others who share your beliefs. We share the same world together so let's try to tolerate each other and keep it friendly as possible and secular.

RF is designed for people who intentionally want to share and express themselves and their beliefs with others with similiar or different beliefs and view points. It's for those who want to learn from each other and challenge each other in a safe and respectful environment thanks to the hard working mods keeping it that way. So I'm glad to be a part of it. People are on this site because they are willing to exchange their religious knowledge and want to debate these issues but in real life in the open territory, people are out there to live and you don't know if they are comfortable with these kinds of conversations we have here, there. That's just my opinion anyways.

1137 said:

Quite possibly. People like me certainly don't tend to be popular amongst the folks who generally pray.

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I know that feeling all too well.

Prayer is meant to change how we live in the world, it is not meant to change the world in which we live.

roger1440 said:

Prayer is meant to change how we live in the world, it is not meant to change the world in which we live.

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Prayers doesnt change how you live in the world, your ACTIONS change how you live in this world. And through actions you change the world in which you live.

DreamyAbaddon said:

Prayers doesnt change how you live in the world, your ACTIONS change how you live in this world. And through actions you change the world in which you live.

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What is the motivation behind any action?

savagewind said:

I think I understand @1137. Sometimes when someone knows what you do and it is against the rule of his god then his saying, "I'll pray for you", really means that you should stop being you and start being like him. That is an insult.

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When a person says "I will pray for you" it means they are hoping things will become better for the person they are praying for. If I were to pray for someone I would NEVER pray that the person becomes like me. I, personally, don't take things as an insult if they are not meant to be one.

Deidre said:

When I had an atheistic stance in the beginning, I thought of people offering prayers as insulting, as if I needed 'saving.' But, over time, I realized it was from a good place. Coming back to faith now, I say it only on occasion (doing it is more valuable than saying it imo lol), but not often because I remember how it felt when I heard it.

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I don't normally tell nonbelievers that I prayed for them. The couple that I did say it to took as a real compliment, although they didn't believe in what I was doing it.

Also, if I can offer help, I will.

roger1440 said:

What is the motivation behind any action?

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Motivation is different for everyone.
We all get motivated differently through different ways.

Prayer can be a way of getting motivated to take action but most people who pray don't take action, they pray to let god handle it. You can pray and do nothing about it or you can do something about it without praying. But if you're capable of praying and doing something about it good for you. Most people don't... and let god decide what's best.

So it really does depend on the person and situation. I'll leave it at that.

ChristineES said:

I don't normally tell nonbelievers that I prayed for them. The couple that I did say it to took as a real compliment, although they didn't believe in what I was doing it.

Also, if I can offer help, I will.

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Good! I'm glad you try to avoid telling nonbelievers that "I'll pray for you" , But I'm more glad to know you're the type that will take action by offering to help if needed. This is what I wish more people do.

DreamyAbaddon said:

Prayers doesnt change how you live in the world, your ACTIONS change how you live in this world. And through actions you change the world in which you live.

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If a person desires to change the world, it’s the world that motivates the person’s actions. Therefore, the world actually changes the person because it’s the world that encourages the person to act. That person has been mastered by the world because they are a slave to the world.

roger1440 said:

If a person desires to change the world, it’s the world that motivates the person’s actions. Therefore, the world actually changes the person because it’s the world that encourages the person to act. That person has been mastered by the world because they are a slave to the world.

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The world doesnt encourages the person to act. The world doesn't care if you act or not. People are motivated to take actions through their personal desires which as a result effects the world around us weather we like it or not. We do share this world together after all.

Prayers mostly encourages people to let god decide which discourages people to take action. God has power over man after all. Ask and you will recieve right? Your personal desires is what motivates you to take actions and your actions as a result will effect/change the world around you. If you dont have a burning desire then you wont take action to see it through. If you feel your desire is NOT achievable you pray in hopes something will get achieved and thus letting god decide. This is why people's prayers means nothing to me. Their action does. People who care and desire to help will help. People who say they care but don't desire to help but pray instead, well I'm glad it works for them but it means nothing to me as a Satanist thus they are not in the same league in my eyes with those who do take actions to help me.

ChristineES said:

I don't normally tell nonbelievers that I prayed for them. The couple that I did say it to took as a real compliment, although they didn't believe in what I was doing it.

Also, if I can offer help, I will.

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Yes, it can translate if taken properly as 'I care.'