Praying for you. Praying OVER you.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Some of you will know what I mean, where I am coming from.

What do you do when someone says "I am praying for you"?

Me: Shrug.

How about "I am praying OVER you?"

This has come up on other of my forums.

[Adora]

Really? Because I've never heard of the difference before expressed by a theist who uses such words. I've known of it for a long time, however. I just assumed said theists were too stupid to know the difference.

[Sock Puppet]

Originally Posted by Abdul Alhazred

What do you do when someone says "I am praying for you"?

Depends on the context. If I've just told them about some personal tragedy or problem, and they respond with that, I just assume it's the most sincere expression of sympathy they can offer. I don't tell them that it's stupid to pray to their dead God to alleviate my suffering. I just say "thank you," and let it go.

However, if they say it in response to some moral, philosophical or theological disagreement, I assume they're using a euphemism for "You poor, misguided fool. My Almighty God will help you learn the error of your sinful ways and realize what an idiot you've been." I am distinctly less charitable then.

Originally Posted by Abdul Alhazred

How about "I am praying OVER you?"

This has come up on other of my forums.

I'd ask how the fuck you can pray OVER someone when you're not standing in the same room. I've only encountered that phrase when somebody wants literally to stand over someone, or, often, hold them so tightly they can't get away, while they say a prayer out loud on their behalf.

Reminds me of that moronic term, "loving on" someone. You don't love ON someone, you redneck numbfuck! Unless it's in a certain Led Zeppelin sense of the word "love," which is never what they mean (at least, I hope not - ick).

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by Sock Puppet

Depends on the context. If I've just told them about some personal tragedy or problem, and they respond with that, I just assume it's the most sincere expression of sympathy they can offer. I don't tell them that it's stupid to pray to their dead God to alleviate my suffering. I just say "thank you," and let it go.

However, if they say it in response to some moral, philosophical or theological disagreement, I assume they're using a euphemism for "You poor, misguided fool. My Almighty God will help you learn the error of your sinful ways and realize what an idiot you've been." I am distinctly less charitable then.

I can relate to that.

Originally Posted by Abdul Alhazred

How about "I am praying OVER you?"

"Get outta the way, you're blocking my light."

[Veritas]

What if someone says they are praying under you or adjacent to you?

[Sock Puppet]

We're not praying over you, we're praying near you.

[lisarea]

Originally Posted by Sock Puppet

Reminds me of that moronic term, "loving on" someone. You don't love ON someone, you redneck numbfuck! Unless it's in a certain Led Zeppelin sense of the word "love," which is never what they mean (at least, I hope not - ick).

Oh, hell yes. Fucking ingrates.

Everyone knows the proper styling is "lovin' up on."

(I'll be prayin' up on all of youse, too.)

[Ymir's blood]

Someone at IIDB once suggested replying, "and I'll be thinking for you." I don't think it would be helpful though.

The best response is what Sock Puppet said, "Thank you." That is assuming they are praying for you to have good luck or get over an illness. I don't see much point in being rude to someone who is (in their world) being nice to you.

On the other hand, if they are praying that you will 'see the light' or whatever, then go on and be rude.

[Adora]

Originally Posted by scarletpeaches

What if someone says they are praying under you or adjacent to you?

"Honey, can you stop that? It's distracting and putting me off my stroke."

Ultimately, both comments are really patronising: The "praying for you" assuming you need their false help (like someone carrying a really heavy load in a box and walking past someone who could help them and them just going "I'm praying for you") and the other one even moreso because it assumes a position of superiority.

[Veritas]

Adora, I am praying diagonally opposite to you.

[viscousmemories]

One of my sisters once asked if I'd be offended by her praying for me. I said something to the effect of "Why would I be offended by you talking to yourself about me?"

Anyway I grew up in a charismatic Christian community, and to us praying OVER someone was a hands-on affair. These folks believed that prayer could cure cancer and such, so someone the afflicted would sit in a chair and everyone would gather around and lay hands on him/her and pray aloud, sometimes in 'tongues', sometimes in English.

Despite years of participating in this practice, I never personally witnessed a miracle.

[Miss Shelby]

Originally Posted by Abdul Alhazred

Some of you will know what I mean, where I am coming from.

What do you do when someone says "I am praying for you"?

Me: Shrug.

How about "I am praying OVER you?"

This has come up on other of my forums.

Extending the benefit of the doubt is always good in this situation. Ususally when people say it they mean that they have the best of intentions in mind.

Michelle

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by Miss Shelby

Extending the benefit of the doubt is always good in this situation. Ususally when people say it they mean that they have the best of intentions in mind.

Michelle

Perhaps, but it's meaningless. Rather than prey on someone, why not just ask if you can help in any way. And if you can, then do so.

[Miss Shelby]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Perhaps, but it's meaningless. Rather than prey on someone, why not just ask if you can help in any way. And if you can, then do so.

That would be good, too. I'm just pointing out that the people who DO say this, might not mean any offense.

Michelle

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by Miss Shelby

That would be good, too. I'm just pointing out that the people who DO say this, might not mean any offense.

Michelle

I didn't say they did. I just said it's meaningless. From my experience, it's usually said with all the sincerity of a smile and "How are you?" Most folks don't expect any answer other than "Fine."

[Miss Shelby]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

I didn't say they did. I just said it's meaningless. From my experience, it's usually said with all the sincerity of a smile and "How are you?" Most folks don't expect any answer other than "Fine."

Fine. Of course, you have no idea of what they do otherwise. Most people who I know that offer to pray also do something.

Michelle

[Shake]

Just for the record, I won't be praying for, over, under, or anywhere in respect to anyone.

[Ohm]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

One of my sisters once asked if I'd be offended by her praying for me. I said something to the effect of "Why would I be offended by you talking to yourself about me?"

Anyway I grew up in a charismatic Christian community, and to us praying OVER someone was a hands-on affair. These folks believed that prayer could cure cancer and such, so someone the afflicted would sit in a chair and everyone would gather around and lay hands on him/her and pray aloud, sometimes in 'tongues', sometimes in English.

Despite years of participating in this practice, I never personally witnessed a miracle.

"miracle" do happen hehehehe if you believe very very hard.

[frikativ54]

Hey Everybody,

I do agree that people have the best intentions when praying. Last night, my Mom, a genuinely good person asked me to pray for her friend who has cancer. I refused out of principle. As I told her, science has cured more people in the last century than religion ever has.

But people do think they are doing a good thing. As my Mom said, what harm could it do? In response, I asked her if she would pray to Zeus, because it wouldn't do any harm--that part was definitely an amusing exchange! I do think it does a lot of harm to hold unjustified opinions.

Leslie

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[Dingfod]

Originally Posted by Ohm

"miracle" do happen hehehehe if you believe very very hard.

If you believe hard enough you can make everyday occurences seem to you to be miracles, like the miracle of your shoes staying tied all day long or the miracle of spaghetti staying on your fork all the way to your mouth.

Originally Posted by Shake

Just for the record, I won't be praying for, over, under, or anywhere in respect to anyone.

Thank you, Shake, I appreciate that.