When people say they'll pray for you....

Do you mind? Does it depend on who says they will pray for you? Or their reasons for praying? I would prefer that people NOT pray for me. I don't believe in their god but I respect THEIR beliefs. Considering how a religious person feels about what they think is the power of prayer, I do not believe they should be asking their god to intercede on my behalf. I am especially offended if a person tells me they will pray for me and I shouldn't care since I don't believe it will have any effect. I find such an attitude to be grossly arrogant and deeply insulting. It's like telling me "I'm going to involve myself in your life whether you like it or not." If religious people get all offended when I ask them please not to pray for me they don't see how they are imposing their beliefs on me. They don't have a "right" to pray for me when I've asked them please not to any more than they have any right to tell me how to live any aspect of my life.

we have a local board with many different religions represented on it - Jewish, Bahai' , agnostic, muslim, athiest or whatever. It's not fair to those who do not follow a christian religion to be subjected to it on a support board. I believe there is enough religious outlets for those that want them. Weight loss surgery isn't one of them. (unless that's your choice, but to me that's personal.) I don't mind if people say they'll pray for me - I just figure whatever makes you feel better. I'm comfortable believing what I believe. I do hate those that push religion on others - or don't understand why some aren't "more" religious. I remember when an athiest board was mentioned and you would have thought someone wanted to drop a bomb in the heartland of America - those that are very religious (their opinion usually), need to understand this nation is no longer made up of a majority of white, christian people. There is diversity here and religion is one of those things that makes everyone different. We can't expect everyone to be white and protestant, nor can we post like they are. Thanks for this board - I hope we can get down to wls issues and not have the religious postings getting in the way for those that don't appreciate them. (Just my opinion - only.) Myrtle.

I can totally relate Myrtle! I can't believe the firestorms I've set off on other messageboards simply by mentioning that I'd prefer people refrain from praying for me! There are some xtians who get REALLY offended and behave as if I have violated some "right" of theirs to be involved in my life! I just want to be left alone and they have trouble grasping that! I would like everyone to feel free to do and believe whatever works FOR THEM. If someone believes that god works in their life and somebody hears their prayers---great, I hope it brings them comfort and strength. I really do. But please leave me out of it! That doesn't seem like it should be a difficult request but.... I'm sure there are some people who find that facing WLS stirs up religious issues in their family, perhaps if they have distanced themselves from their family's religion. If anyone is struggling with this I hope they will find this board for support.

Well, like I said earlier, I don't mind people who say they'll pray for me. I don't feel that it really intercedes on my life or my beliefs, but I whole-heartedly understand how some might feel that way. I can also understand how some might be offended by being asked NOT to pray for you. People feel strongly about what they feel strongly about (pretty deep, huh? ) When someone says they'll say a prayer for me, I just say "thanks" and shrug it off. I guess I'm just a "laissez-faire" kinda gal.

People have the right to think of me in whatever in capacity they like. If it makes them feel useful, the so be it. Who am I to ruin their fun. I know they probably do not anyway. If everyone prayed for everyone they said they were going to pray for, then there would no time for real life stuff. They say it, but not everyone means it. I try to not be offended, because most have good intentions. It does get tiresome though.

I used to live in a six-unit condo building where I was the association president for several years. I was coming home one day to find a man and two women at our front door (you had to be buzzed in through two doors). They were out proselytizing and had the usual pamplets. I asked them politely to please the premises. The man kept trying to convince me he had to talk to me about something important. I said the building was a condo, I was the association president and I was asking him to leave private property. He got this really funny look on his face. He proceeded to lead the two women to our front lawn where they got down on their knees and he lifted his arms to the sky and began to "pray" for the residents of that building who couldn't see the light of the lord or something like that. I started to get angry. I took out my cell phone and said I was calling the police and they had to leave NOW. So they moved their little performance to the sidewalk. I got the 311 non-emergency operator on the line and let them hear me giving the address and saying we had trespassers *****fused to leave. So they moved out to the STREET! A car appeared down the road so they got up and headed for the next building....