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Post by Amaranth on Oct 5, 2009 0:45:42 GMT -5
Maybe this belongs in Preach and Worship. If so, someone feel free to move it.
So, periodically, I get someone who tells me they'll pray for me. Not that I see the light, not that I change my ways, but that Jesus/God will forgive me. I thought the only way this worked was if I took Jesus into my heart (soul, temporal node, etc.). I didn't know it could be done " by proxy," save maybe the whole Mormon post-mortem baptism (And no, we don't need to trash the Mormons here, I'm just pointing out I know this one already). My main question is, is this common? Is it part of a specific denomination? Are they going to save my soul whether I want it or not?
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Post by ironbite on Oct 5, 2009 0:47:57 GMT -5
More common then you think. Its a way for the faithful to prove how much good their doing in the eyes of the lord.
Ironbite-or some clap trap like that.
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Post by SimSim on Oct 5, 2009 15:11:45 GMT -5
I've gotten it too. It's always come across to me as, I'll pray that eventually you see that I'm right and you're wrong.
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Post by Tiger on Oct 5, 2009 17:30:10 GMT -5
It's a way of saying "Fuck you, I'm right and you're wrong" while still seeming like the better person.
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Post by Admiral Lithp on Oct 5, 2009 21:09:52 GMT -5
It really doesn't make sense. But who needs logic?
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Post by rookie on Oct 5, 2009 21:11:35 GMT -5
I've seen that too. "I pray baby Jayzus will forgive yer sinful wayze and open yer i's too thuh wikkednezz en yer lyhf." Is that some sort of lame-assed threat? Poorly worded (and apparently poorly spelled) pity or hope?
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Post by Jedi Knight on Oct 6, 2009 4:41:23 GMT -5
It's a way of saying "Fuck you, I'm right and you're wrong" while still seeming like the better person. QFT! That's what I've always felt. "Essentially, I have no arguments left; I'll pray for you! Take that!"
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Post by lonelocust on Oct 6, 2009 7:04:01 GMT -5
I think it's possible in Catholicism IF the prayee has been baptized and had each sacrament like once. I might be wrong on that, though.
For your standard evangelical protestantism, though, yeah, they can only fit that into you eventually finding jeebus.
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Post by deusmalum on Oct 6, 2009 14:04:03 GMT -5
It's a way of saying "Fuck you, I'm right and you're wrong" while still seeming like the better person. QFT! That's what I've always felt. "Essentially, I have no arguments left; I'll pray for you! Take that!" Which is why the look on their faces is so gratifying when my response is "And I'll think for you." Not particularly original. Maybe not that clever. But it gets the point across.
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Post by Old Viking on Oct 6, 2009 16:02:16 GMT -5
It's condescension on a second grade level. Best they can do.
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Post by Paradox on Oct 8, 2009 13:33:00 GMT -5
You'd be surprised how easy it is to make "I'll pray for you" sound like a threat.
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Post by lonelocust on Oct 8, 2009 13:46:42 GMT -5
I doubt anyone would actually be surprised by that, Paradox. It's a common experience. :-p
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Post by Amaranth on Oct 8, 2009 15:51:23 GMT -5
You'd be surprised how easy it is to make "I'll pray for you" sound like a threat. It usually sounds like "I'm a huge douche." But I'm never completely sure if it's malicious or not. And you're right, it's surprising how often it sounds malicious.
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Post by wmdkitty on Oct 9, 2009 1:06:07 GMT -5
My uncle explained it fairly well to me once -- I was drunk at the time, and don't remember much of it, but I'll relay what I do remember.
He said that they look at saving your soul from the danger of "hell" the same way most people would look at saving a child from impending harm (such as an oncoming train).
While I understand the logic of wanting to save people from imminent harm, well, it makes a lot more sense if the "harm" actually, you know, exists.
And for once, I agree with Amaranth -- "I'll pray for you" generally comes off as "I'm a huge douchebag with a superiority complex." (For some reason, it -always- sounds malicious to me.)
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Post by agnosticantagonist on Oct 9, 2009 11:45:58 GMT -5
The proper rejoinder for being told "I'll pray for you" is the smuggest smirk you can muster up. Stony silence also works.
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