Comments on: Can Praying Be Considered Religious Intolerance?

By: Sean Sauve

Sean Sauve — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:59:34 +0000

Christians are no saying that you are wrong when they say “I’ll pray for you.” They merely pre-suppose you are wrong (which you are).

As to how it can be considered religious intolerance, your article here is considered offensive to many Christians, so by your own (wrong) standards, you too are intolerant.

By: nickolayer

nickolayer — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:15:35 +0000

And if you’re really furious, respond with “…well, if you can’t tackle/handle me by yourself…”, but that will work only if you know that your opponent has given up trying to convince you.

By: Ian Andreas Miller

Ian Andreas Miller — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:15:18 +0000

Yes, I think it’s a form of intolerance for the very reason stated.

On a side note, my favorite retort to “I’ll pray for you” is “And I’ll think for the both of us.” But that’s a dickish thing to say in response…

I was thinking of “I’ll do good deeds for all of us.”

By: nickolayer

nickolayer — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:32:27 +0000

I liked Anfractuous’ idea of “if that’s all you’ve got”. A good comeback would be “why don’t you do something USEFUL instead?”

By: llewelly

llewelly — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:54:50 +0000

They are trying to convince their god to “open my heart” …

Suddenly, I hear a song in my head. It goes something like this:

Open up your heart
and let the sun shine in
Open up your heart
and let the sun shine in

The people singing it are waving knives, dancing around altars, and … they’re 15th century Aztec priests.

By: Anfractuous

Anfractuous — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:54:05 +0000

In general, I don’t think it’s worth worrying about it, so I usually don’t reply at all, or just say thanks if it’s meant well. I think people sometimes get carried away with being “offended.” There are times to stand up and be counted but otherwise it’s just too ridiculous to worry about.

However, just in case I need a response, I’ve been thinking of a few that might work. I’ll probably never have the nerve to actually use any of them, but for someone looking for a snappy comeback….

If it’s meant as a good wishes comment on the illness of a family member, for instance: “Actually, I’d rather have the money;” or “a donation to ______ would be more helpful;” or “I’d rather you’d come and do the dishes for her or take her to play Bingo;” etc.

If they’re using it as a parting shot, I’d love to laugh at them and say, “Well, if that’s all you got.” Or perhaps, “Gee, I hope you get what you deserve as well.”

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 09 May 2009 06:57:13 +0000

If someone says “I’ll pray for you” to me in reaction to learning I’m an atheist or gay, I tell them “you’re welcome to waste your time as you see fit.” I’m very good at sounding condescending if I want to. I don’t believe they’re trying to be intolerant of my atheism, I believe they’re trying to express their smug sense of moral superiority over me, which is an insult, so I’m under no obligation not to insult them back.

If someone tells me they’ll pray for me because they’ve learned of some difficulty in my life, I tell them “it’s kind of you to think of me, but I’m an atheist.”

If I sneeze and someone says “bless you”, I say “thank you.” A friend who knows I’m an atheist once sneezed, I said “bless you”, and he pounced on the question of who I think is doing the blessing. I explained that *I* did the blessing – he has my blessing to stop sneezing. However, I usually say “Gesundheit” or “Would you like a tissue?”, if I feel obliged to say anything in response to a sneeze.

If I sneeze and someone says “god bless you”, I either ignore it if I’m trying to be nice, or I reply “no, he really doesn’t,” if I’m feeling annoyed, or “stop saying that, I’m allergic to ‘god bless you’!” if I want to confuse them. (The latter is good because I get sneezing fits from my allergies, and if I can force all those words out, it usually stops my sneezing fit.)

By: Barker

Barker — Sat, 09 May 2009 06:15:43 +0000

I’m not exactly sure what my response to a condescending “I’ll pray for you” might be but I’m thinking of going with a cheerful “Thanks! Let me know what you hear back!”

By: medussa

medussa — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:57:55 +0000

I work on an ambulance, and many of my patients or their family members say they’ll pray for me, and as it’s almost always meant as an elaborate “thank you” I usually let that slide, because an emergency is not the time to argue, and the intention is positive.
But there have been a few times when a patient, thinking they (or their baby) are dying, wants me to pray with them, and I find that situation difficult.
My job is not just to practice paramedicine, but also to reassure and calm the patient, and starting a discussion regarding the lunacy of their core beliefs is not helpful in that context.
I have yet to find a comfortable solution for my predicament. Off duty is not an issue, I have plenty of come backs….
Recently, a mother asked me to help her remember how to pray for her dying baby, and I actually tried to remember one. To my everlasting amusement, all I could come up with was “Oh Father, where art thou?” which had my Mormon family shaking their head in despair…

By: stephanie

stephanie — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:25:37 +0000

If it’s generally meant in the terms of “I’ll keep you in my thoughts” I let it slide. If it isn’t I usually ask them ‘Why?’ in a perplexed tone. You’d think the response would be some statement of faith, but usually people just kind of mumble something and go away.