Praying for an Athiest

[EvianBaby]

I have thought long and hard about venturing into this topic as I usually do my best to avoid it but I would be interested to hear others thoughts on something.

If as an athiest, you (or someone close to you) became ill, how would you feel about someone religious saying they will be praying for you?

Would you take any comfort from it or would you be annoyed/offended by it and maybe even ask them not to?

Or as someone with religion, would you pray for someone even if you knew they were athiest? Would it make any difference to you?

I'd really appreciate it if answers could just be kept to personal opinions on the question and avoid any arguments over who's right and who's wrong, etc.

Thanks!

[RATTER15]

but Sith, surely a prayer to your God will heal you and if not, arent you going against your Gods wishes, if your God thinks it is your time to join him, why fight it!!

[naomi24]

Sith, Jehovah's Witnesses - and Scientologists - will turn down treatment - and although you think they're stupid, I expect they think the same of you, because they believe no less in their religion than you believe in yours. That's why, where other religions are concerned, you are an atheist. As Stephen Roberts so succinctly observed, the only difference between you and me is that I believe in one fewer God than you do - yours.

Now can you understand why atheists dismiss your God?

(By the way, I think Vetuste was talking about your avatar. You somehow acquired a peculiar purple one yesterday, but it seems to have righted itself now).

[vetuste_ennemi]

Yes, I was, Naomi. And, talking of avatars, I think Sandy needs more help than I can give. The last time I spoke to him was in reply to his recommendation of the Ken Russell Elgar film. I couldn't help asking him what he thought of The Devils.
Sith, why is dying a more serious matter than turning purple? Don't believers have all eternity to look forward to? Being green or being purple, dying at 5 or dying at 50 should all be equally unimportant, shouldn't they?

[naomi24]

I'm rather alarmed at Sandy's avatar too. Has he gone over to the 'Dark Side'? :o)

[sandyRoe]

Faust's guardian devil masqueraded as a jolly old friar. I thought for a change I'd stalk the corridors of AB in the likeness of our mortal enemy.

[vetuste_ennemi]

I prefer the old avatar, Sandy, which was compatible with both Sandy modes - magisterial and sardonic. The new one just looks spiteful.

[RATTER15]

>>Faust's guardian devil masqueraded as a jolly old friar. I thought for a change I'd stalk the corridors of AB in the likeness of our mortal enemy.<<

how can a non-existent character be anyone's enemy?

[sandyRoe]

He's the greatest enemy that we frail humans will ever encounter. And being a master of disguise he can dress to suit the occasion. He facilitates our greed, avarace, lust, hubris, ire, and so on, and worst of all, he can trick us into believing that they're really not sins but virtues.
On reflection, I've decided that the image of our great enemy isn't a suitable avatar. In my increasingly fruitless endeavours to save lost souls I can't afford to antagonise anyone.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Welcome back to the old Sandy. Have you read The Screwtape Letters?

[sandyRoe]

I haven't but I will. Judging from Wikipedia, Screwtape and Wormwood seem happy enough to stew in their own squalid cauldrons. Faust's friends, at least in the Marlowe version, know how wretched their existence is.
Food for thought.

[vetuste_ennemi]

It's a long time since I read it, Sandy. See if I can get it free on the Kindle.
One of the tricks recommended to the apprentice devil (when trying to promote a particular vice) is to select the virtue most akin to it and try to pass the one off as the other, e.g. appeasement posing as conciliation. We see this manipulation by real devils all the time.
The Problem of Pain was IMO a less successful apologetic. I must find out what your lot have got on that.

[sith123]

ratter, who created the ingredients to make medicine? god. Some are man made but to get those ingredients you need natural ingredients. In my belief nature was created by god. So therefore that is why you can and should take medicine if you need.

Vetuste. i cannot believe you are asking this question. Why is dying a more serious matter than turning purple? for starters you should live your life to the best of your ability, if you can live longer by taking medicine to help you get through a disease etc than yes you should. There are other factors as well. when you die you leave behind a family. This life is to prepare you for the next. When you die you die. whatever age. that does not mean that you say im gonna die anyway, lets take no medicine and not worry. This is like suicide and we muslims do not believe in suicide.

[mibn2cweus]

//ratter, who created the ingredients to make medicine? god. Some are man made but to get those ingredients you need natural ingredients. In my belief nature was created by god. So therefore that is why you can and should take medicine if you need.//

One man's medicine is another man's poison. Reason, (not prayer), enables the doctor, (not the priest), to distinguish for whom, which is which.

[naomi24]

Sith, //ratter, who created the ingredients to make medicine? god. //

You imply that is fact - but it isn't.

[RATTER15]

>>ratter, who created the ingredients to make medicine?<<

Sith, You make me laugh sometimes, God certainly went the long way round finding these cures and developing these medicines and took an awful long time to do it!

[naomi24]

Ratter, good thinking. He could have made the medicines at the beginning of time - and packaged them ready to use instead of leaving people to suffer for millennia waiting for man to get there. :o)

[mibn2cweus]

//This is like suicide and we muslims do not believe in suicide.//

Ahem . . . thank god for that!

[naomi24]

:o)

[Davethedog]

//This is like suicide and we muslims do not believe in suicide.//

Yes you do - You believe in sending out the young and gullible to kill themselves and anyone else they can.

[Ankou]

dave, sith has it right, muslims do not agree with suicide. but they do agree with martyrdom. and self-death whilst killing infidels is ok.