Exactly! Don't give the credit to some imaginary sicko zombie cannibal floating on a cloud killing children...i figured it out, not that useless sap!

That’s a great response.

Oh man, that bugs the SHIT out of me!!
Not to mention it’s creepy as HELL!

Definitely. It’s self-serving.

I grew up in Mormon country and they believe they can "save you" after you die, whether you wanted to be saved or not!

Yes it does! I don't want to start a debate, so I usually feel awkward, and just grin and bear it. I like what you said, but if I said it would probably just piss somebody off In saying I in no way mean I would rather be pissed on....Am I????

Wow!!! I love your response, I would like to use it if I may. To say "I will pray for you" is a way to pretend that they care without actually doing anything to help anyone in need. By saying it, I am sure they feel they have done their part to better the situation.

Actually no. It isn't going to do anything so it isn't going affect me. That is such a minor thing to me, just like merry christmas. I say that, if I know someone is Jewish I say Happy hanuka. If I know someone practices a "pagan" religion ala wicca I say joyous yule, and sometimes I say Happy holidays. Basically it is all just a form of I hope you have a good period of time and that you and yours are happy. There is far too little happiness in the world so any little thing that contributes to it is perfectly fine in my book. If I am sick and get better and someone says they were praying for me, I just say thanks, they can think what they want, and if they were really concerned with my welfare well, thats not a bad thing. I belong to a facebook group in which the members are all fans of Spider Robinson's Callahan's Saloon series. There we practice the CEPT. I forget exactly what it stands for but basically it is a call if people are having issues for ecumenical well wishes, be that pray, warm fuzzies, healing energy or whatever. The concept is Pain shared is pain lessened, Joy shared is joy multiplied.

It doesn't bother me. I wonder if they REALLY pray for me. I think it is more for the person who says they will pray than it is for the person they are praying for, but I guess a believer might "feel" better or loved if they know someone is praying for them.

I'd rather they gave me money instead.

I'm still mostly in the closet with most of my wider social sphere, so probably in a different position from you.

If they say it and would pray later, I'm not personally bothered. I think a lot of people want to genuinely be helpful to others that they care about, or come across, and as such prayers make people feel like they are helping another person in situations where there is actually no possible way TO help. So for them to find their own sense of peace about my troubles is fine.

What bugs me right now is when they presume that they can just pray (or even more absurd, "prophesy" ) for me then and there. Because then I'm stuck in a tough dilemma: "Do I accept and feel like an idiot for still engaging with this, while being ashamed that I'm leading someone on?" or "Do I actually ruin their day, burn bridges (which I hate doing!), and tell them that I'm...well I'm not even sure how to describe what I am now?!" So yeah, those more direct intrusions are loaded with more expectations.

But I get what you mean. The last thing one wants is for them to find out a week later that the thing they prayed about actually worked out for you, then go to Church the next week saying. "You all know of my friend, Witchy, who we've been praying for? Well, last week she needed X, and just this Friday Jesus did X in her life, and now I believe she's closer and more open to Jesus." Such testimonies are so incredibly disrespectful of a person's own life and thoughts. Even if your friend just thinks this to herself, it's still a sad reflection on evangelical thinking.

I think it depends on the situation for me. If it is a canned phrase with no really meaning that people say like god bless you after you sneeze then it dosen't bother nearly as much as when I am having a conversation with someone and I tell them I am not religious and they say they are going to pray from my soul. I think the difference is one is just a comment and one has judgement. Just my two cents.

Yes it does. But I know they mostly mean well.

I do find it annoying as well. But i just take it with a grain of salt. They really do think that it does something so i can't get too mad.

I agree with you. A lot of people don't understand that it can be offensive to some.

My ex wife ends our phone calls with god blessed you... married to me for 19 years she knew from dating I was not into religion but does not bother me. If saying praying for you make them happy and make them think they got one over you is their problem... we both know that they are not going to mention you in their prayers, most likely they don't even pray. I did wrote a song once... "weekend prayers" I started the song in english but final version recorded music and everything is in spanish... it is about you praying to a lesser god and you just pray to survive the weekend. but that is another story... "I pray for you" is a Canned Phrase without value but you know that.

I always say I’ll masturbate for you. Seems to set them off a bit.

It used to put me in a weird place, but after a while, I quit taking it seriously...its just kind of a "luck ritual" now...actually, its weird how Pagan the concept of praying for somebody is...in the Abrahamic religions, you're good deeds are directly rewarded in the end and if tragedy happens, there is a reason it needed to. The carrot-and-stick nature of praying for good fortune is Pagan...knowing the rules that would lead to an ultimate fortune at the end is what separates monotheism from its pagan contemporaries. When modern Christians do this, they don't do it with distrust towards the Gods the way Pagans do, but still...its an interesting historical change in the religion. I wonder whether its more prevalent in America.

I just kindly let it go..
I don't like to encourage their dialog..