Does it Matter?

[SalixIncendium]

In the event of personal hardship or illness, does it matter who prays for you?

For example, if you are Christian and wish for people to pray for you, should those prayers exclusively come from Christians? Or if you are a Hindu, does it matter if a Muslim offers to pray for you?

In your religion, are prayers that come from those of other faiths somehow disqualified? If so, why?

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you? If so, why? If not, why not?

 

[Rival]

I really wouldn't feel good with having folks praying to Pagan gods for me. If others felt the same towards my praying for them, I'd understand.

 

[74x12]

In the event of personal hardship or illness, does it matter who prays for you?

For example, if you are Christian and wish for people to pray for you, should those prayers exclusively come from Christians? Or if you are a Hindu, does it matter if a Muslim offers to pray for you?

In your religion, are prayers that come from those of other faiths somehow disqualified? If so, why?

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you? If so, why? If not, why not?

According to the Bible it matters. God hears the prayers of the righteous person. That's in the Psalms.

Secondly, according to the teachings of Jesus; it makes sense that God is more likely to hear those with more faith. In fact even though there was one lady who was not a Jew; yet she had her prayer answered for her daughter because she had enough faith.

So I don't say anyone's prayer is disqualified. Although God does disqualify some prayers; it's really up to Him alone because He's looking at everyone's heart.

 

[EnjoyTheJourney]

As no one really knows who or what is right, logically there is no harm in trying- any port in a storm so to speak! But in reality, for example (extreme, granted) I would think a Christian would probably be horrified if for example a theistic satantist prayed for them (with the best of intentions of course). The interesting question is though, are they more worried in case it turns out that Satan answers the prayer, but their own God does not? And if that were to happen, what would the consequences be for them (as they believe Satan is evil, where as the Satanist views it from the opposite stance?) would that mean they then 'owe Satan one' in their mind and as they see him as evil that would be pretty terrifying for them?

 

[Vinayaka]

In the event of personal hardship or illness, does it matter who prays for you?

For example, if you are Christian and wish for people to pray for you, should those prayers exclusively come from Christians? Or if you are a Hindu, does it matter if a Muslim offers to pray for you?

In your religion, are prayers that come from those of other faiths somehow disqualified? If so, why?

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you? If so, why? If not, why not?

Interesting question. In times of sickness, I wouldn't care, because I just think that their God wouldn't be able to do much. I do care if someone prays that I give up my 'satanic' ways, and come over to their God. I find that condescending and insulting. I would just hope that they would come to their senses regarding tolerance.

 

[PureX]

Such offers are almost always well intended, and harmless. So I see no reason not to simply accept them as that.

 

[Revoltingest]

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you?

No worries.
It's kind & productive in their view.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Interesting question. In times of sickness, I wouldn't care, because I just think that their God wouldn't be able to do much. I do care if someone prays that I give up my 'satanic' ways, and come over to their God. I find that condescending and insulting. I would just hope that they would come to their senses regarding tolerance.

That's why I qualified the OP with hardship and illness. I agree that it's in bad form to pray for another as a result of one's judgment of them in an attempt to change them based on how one feels the other should live.

 

[SalixIncendium]

No worries.
It's kind & productive in their view.

What about in your view?

 

[Revoltingest]

What about in your view?

I see kindness & the intent to help.
But of course, I don't expect divine intervention on my behalf.

 

[Katja]

Does it matter anyway? Is God really going to decide whether to help us in a time of hardship depending on whether other people pray for us?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

No, it's all good. I'm a polytheist so this isn't a problem for me, even if someone turns to a god that I don't particularly like to help me (like Yahweh).

 

[ChristineM]

In the event of personal hardship or illness, does it matter who prays for you?

For example, if you are Christian and wish for people to pray for you, should those prayers exclusively come from Christians? Or if you are a Hindu, does it matter if a Muslim offers to pray for you?

In your religion, are prayers that come from those of other faiths somehow disqualified? If so, why?

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you? If so, why? If not, why not?

Atheist here (honestly)

To me prayer is a waste of time that could be spent actually doing something to help but i do realise that many people find it comforting if others pray for their recovery.

 

[lukethethird]

In the event of personal hardship or illness, does it matter who prays for you?

For example, if you are Christian and wish for people to pray for you, should those prayers exclusively come from Christians? Or if you are a Hindu, does it matter if a Muslim offers to pray for you?

In your religion, are prayers that come from those of other faiths somehow disqualified? If so, why?

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would prefer cash.

 

[Cooky]

I really wouldn't feel good with having folks praying to Pagan gods for me. If others felt the same towards my praying for them, I'd understand.

But why? Praying to pagan god's is like praying to kitchen tables and forks. It's just a non-thing. Like echos in an empty cave.

 

[Cooky]

But why? Praying to pagan god's is like praying to kitchen tables and forks. It's just a non-thing. Like echos in an empty cave.

Though, God hears those echos.

 

[Rival]

But why? Praying to pagan god's is like praying to kitchen tables and forks. It's just a non-thing. Like echos in an empty cave.

Yes, but it still would make me feel bad for allowing them to do it because that is me greenlighting their idolatry.

 

[Erebus]

The reason why somebody wants to pray for me is far more important than where they direct their prayers.

If I'm having a tough time and somebody says they'll pray that things improve, then I'll take it as a gesture of kindness. Doesn't matter which religion they follow or which god they pray to.

Echoing @Vinayaka's views, if somebody wants to pray that I'll change my beliefs to match their "correct" view then I'll take it as arrogant and insulting. Again, it doesn't matter who they pray to. I'd find it just as insulting coming from another Pagan as I would a Christian.


Positive prayer though? That's fine by me.

 

[George-ananda]

In the event of personal hardship or illness, does it matter who prays for you?

For example, if you are Christian and wish for people to pray for you, should those prayers exclusively come from Christians? Or if you are a Hindu, does it matter if a Muslim offers to pray for you?

In your religion, are prayers that come from those of other faiths somehow disqualified? If so, why?

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you? If so, why? If not, why not?

I think the more advanced one gets spiritually the less one is concerned about labels.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

If you are an atheist, are you put off if others offer to pray for you or offer to pray for you? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yeah, a bit. It creates distance between me and that person.

Anyone who's telling me "I'll pray for you" either:

- thinks it'll comfort me, illustrating that they don't really know me at all, or

- is saying it for their own reasons, so they're making the situation about themselves.

I take "I'll pray for you" to mean "I won't do anything to actually help you, but I'll try to make myself feel better." At best, I can take it as "I'm stressed out by what's happening to you too, and I'm so religious that prayer is my only coping mechanism" ... but even in that case, they'd effectively be telling me that they can't relate to my secular worldview at all, so it would still create (or at least call attention to) distance between us.