It really bugs me when people who know that I am an atheist insist on telling me "I"m praying for you". AND that's not all...they tell me that they have put me on their church prayer "networks" so strangers who don't give two shits about me can include my name in some incantations to a being that I do not believe exists! It's a total disregard for my non-beliefs. I resent being placed, even secretly on some "pity list" when it doesn't do any good anyhow...not for me anyway. (Even when I was a Xian and had problems I refused to be placed on the pity list.) My own attitude, and proper medical care can help me deal with things, my loving and supportive family and friends, and if doctors and medical science cannot help me, what happens is gonna happen and no magic words will change that.
I understand that people's intentions are good ones most of the time and if prayer maybe makes the people who are praying feel better, it's their freedom to do so . . . BUT I don't wanna know it! Since I was in the hospital in September, and struggling with chronic illness, I have had people who KNOW I am an atheist tell me "I'm praying for you"...well STOP PLEASE! Or at least stop telling me about it. I am glad you are thinking about me, and are concerned...but if you are truly concerned and care about me...then WHY tell me you are doing something you know is going to perturb me? Kindness can be shown without the added agitating comments.
For one, it's doing no good at all as shit keeps happening to me anyway, and secondly...telling me you are praying for me makes my blood pressure skyrocket because it's total lack of respect for me if you know where I stand on religion. I don't go out of my way to tell believers personally that prayer is pointless, I don't send email forwards with atheist content to anyone except fellow atheists, but I sure get an overload of forwards of god emails of the conversion types from people who know I am an atheist because they hope I will hop back on board the delusion train. I certainly would not tell a sick Xian that scientific studies show that their prayers just don't work. (In fact, research shows that those believers who know they are being prayed for actually do WORSE than those who aren't.) But while I was sick I was told "I'll be praying for you"...those who respect us tell me "We'll be thinking of you"...which is all it is anyway. We can only hope that the doctors know what the heck they are doing, and hope that the old body can bounce back from whatever.
Anway, I saw this shirt while browsing around the internet, and I might just buy it.
6 comments:
I will pray that they stop praying for you.
tommy, or at least make them stop telling me they are praying for me.
That's the part I don't understand...why the NEED to bring their religion into the conversation? It's getting to feel like a "dig" at me instead of actually well-intended. Almost like "see, I am better than you because I have god on my side"...but they don't stop to think that their god belief doesn't change one dang thing with themselves either. What's going to happen, happens. If humans can find a cure, solution, etc. then they will...if not we can only hope for the best, but there are so many things we can do absolutely about and prayer, while it might be a good psychological crutch for some, it does nothing for the atheist, or even the deist.
Last time someone said, "I'll pray for you", I told the guy, "I'll do the thinking for both of us."
I told a guy at work that prayer doesn't work, he told me he wasn't talking to me 'cause you is the DEVIL!'
I think he was kiddin', 'cause we're still bantering (sometime he mutters, "You're an effin' asshole sometimes, Doug.")
Hehehehe.
That is a great shirt. When someone tells me they will pray for me after I inform them I'm an atheist, I experience a mixture of pity and rage. I do find the statement insulting, but I also am reminded that some people cling to idiocy simply because it feels comfortable.
ka, you devil you. LOL!
vjack, yes, it is indeed insulting to have someone who knows I am an atheist tell me they are praying for me. I have tried very hard over the years not to be "touchy" about it. I have told myself they mean well and shrugged it off, tried to ignore, nodded and smiled while keeping my sarcasms to myself, and didn't respond with anything at all...but now I am starting to speak up to people who I don't care if they don't call me anymore...BUT one person who occasionally says this to me is very close to me and I don't ever want to drive her away so I don't say anything to her and I do know she loves me very much, but then WHY keep saying it? If she believes her god hears her, and can communicate with me there is no need to tell me she is using incantations and magic to try to make me better..or to make me reconvert, etc. She knows me better than anyone, and has to know that it riles me up. The thing is, if she was sick I would not say "I'm not going to pray for you because there is no god, but I do trust the doctors to take care of you." But I don't say that because I know it would make her feel worse to be agitated. It's just not very thoughtful.
It's all so irritating!
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