What makes people think they can say....?

Question

What makes people think they can say things like :
"May Jesus bless you and fill you with his peace and Love and Joy"
To other people, especially random strangers.

Yes I know they mean no harm. But its disrespectful, and I especially hate it when they say they will pray for you when you dont ask for it.
Maybe you dont want to be prayed for??

OH And when they dissagree with your religious path and say they will pray for your soul and yada yada yada....


I want to know... What makes you guys think you can say this stuff to random strangers?
Think about it for a minute... Yes your trying to do good in your eyes, but to the other person your just annoying the living hell outta them and making them dislike the Christian religion even more...

So I want to know why. What gives you the "God Givin Right" to pray for someone elses souls or say "Jesus Bless u yada yada"

Not everyones Christian and wants to be blessed by him and filled with his love ya know!

Rofl ... Ramen


Eh, Names dont hurt me. Plus, I know why they do it. Im not simple minded.
Just wanna see their answers.

Curiosity is bad huh

Thats just it. I dont want other peoples blessings.

And when my nehpews Grandma found out I had left my Christian faith behind for a more Spiritual based religion she said she was going to "Pray for me"
Without my permission... That made me so angry...
I was very happy with my new faith and she was gonna pray for me so I would go back to an faithless(It was faithless to me...) religion?
She basicly made me feel like she wanted me to be unhappy jsut to be a child of christ or whatever again.

One reason it annoys me so much. They dont stop to think about it before they say it.

Saying your gonna pray for me and Jesus Bless me isnt gonna get on my nerves or PEeve me in here cuz I know your just doing it to get on my nerves....


Geeze, Bible passages are so annoying too...
They make almost no sense.

You know I dont believe hes comming right ?? So like dont bother telling me.

Answer 1

You know, I really don't think you should let it bother you. Chances are, the overly-blessing Christians don't mean it maliciously, and really, they are just showing their ignorance of other cultures and beliefs. If you want to combat it in a small way, you can always give it a humorous twist. For example:

Christian: May God bless you! Have a Merry Christmas!
You: May you read Darwinian text and revel in the unholy truth of it all!

Once, I was whining to a friend of mine about how I hated that the Mormons CONSTANTLY come to my door to tell me about God. He suggested I keep copies of the Tao Te Ching in my apparntment and every time they come by to "save" my soul, I try to save theirs in return. The same could be done with multiple texts on Buddhism, Wicca, or The Satanic Bible if you so choose.

This season may be hard for you with all the Christmas cheer being shoved in your face. I find the best way to get through it is to embrace it. Laugh at our American commercialism. Love that at least once a year, people think they HAVE to be nice to each other. And if you must suffer Christmas carols, suffer with Bing Crosby's songs.

Bottom line--no one mean's to insult you. They do it out of ignorance. Pity them. Don't be angry.

Answer 2

I don't believe anyone needs your permission to pray for any particular thing the person wants to pray about. And if God wants to fill you up with His love, I don't think you can do anything about it. And you answered your own question when you said "What give you the 'God givin right' to pray for someone elses souls . . . . " That would be God as in "God given right."

The real issue is why you care whether someone prays for you or not? Why not humor the person? Make the person feel good about themselves for trying to do you a favor. It's always a nice thing to make someone feel good by thinking that they are doing you a favor.

On the other hand, if they are saying that they are going to pray for you because of your choice of religion, that is disrespectful. How do you handle it? By being disrespectful back? No! Say thank you. I appreciate that. You're a good person for wanting to help me through God like that. Show them what a cool guy you are and not some mixed up kid who is on some hairbrained cult like journey.

The thing that brings me back to Jesus despite my numerous doubts is the Golden Rule. Use it and dealing with people becomes so much easier.

Answer 3

Unfortunately, way too many people believe that because we are a democracy then everyone should accept Christianity as the "national religion" since it carries "majority vote."

Of course, anyone who understands separation of church and state understands how ridiculous and dangerous this thought is.

That being said: most Christians believe that not only do they have the right (being of the "national religion") but the DUTY to bestow their blessings on the rest of us. They consider it "spreading the word" while we consider it "forcing their will on us."

However unfortunate this is, there isn't much non-Christians can do about it. I personally make it a point not to discuss religion at all. When it does come up in conversation (and you know it invariably does) I keep my mouth shut no matter HOW offended I am.

Answer 4

Well,let's look at this. Christians say to you "God bless you" and what does 'bless' mean? In biblical terms it means "enabled to prosper". I want to prosper in every area of my life! Don't you?

It's Christmas. People say "merry Christmas and a happy new year". HOW DARE THEY wish me happyness and joy!What a rediculous statement, of course don't see you objecting to that. You buy a lottery ticket, the seller says to you ( a random person to them ) "good luck" - do you object? NO!

You seem to be saying that you believe that the Christian God hears and answers prayers (and He does), otherwise why would you object to their prayers.

You don't wan't "love, joy and peace" well you are different to almost 99.9999% of people on the earth today.

If prayer doesn't work, don't worry about their prayers, if you don't want to prosper just reject their blessings - tell these Christians to keep their blessings and tell God that you don't want Him or anything to do with Him or anything from Him. It will make a difference and you will soon change your mind.

Mean while I say " Thankyou God for your blessings, they are new every morning"

Answer 5

I find it annoying, but then it is not the common thing here - people would just assume you were plain WEIRD if you did that here. So I'm not at all used to it, until I start participating in anything American, such as Yahoo Groups.

The reason it bugs me is simple - what on earth do I say back to them? I can't say "God bless you too" because that would be straight out hypocritical on my part. Besides, they should have enough decency to respect my beliefs if they expect me to respect theirs. I make no secret of the fact I am not religious, so why speak to me as if I am? It makes no sense.

Voodoid, what on earth has democracy got to do with christianity? I don't understand that at all, is this something peculiar to the USA?

Answer 6

Basic social paradox, and tension.

We don't like people being inconsistent to their beliefs.
(Hypocrites!)
But then we want their beliefs and actions to suit us too.
Or at least for our point of view to be given consideration.
(Even if that means the others having to compromise their beliefs?)

Not too difficult where there is largely agreement on culture and religion. Not so easy in a pluralistic society.

Civilisation is, at core, the behaviour required to enable living in cities. And it does very much include giving up total individual freedom and autonomy.

Yes, some religious types could do more to consider others. But by the same token who are you to impose your wishes on their desires? It cuts both ways, you know.

Answer 7

That is the easiest way to greet a stranger , the memorized verse, which has lesser effect on rejection on offer of friendship.Blessings such as this must be by older or person of higher status to the recipeint.

Answer 8

You are running so hard ! Soon you will run into a wall, and you'll want those Prayers. By the way, you can't stop people from Praying for you, and if they did stop Praying ...............

Scripture says that at His coming every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the Glory of God.

Answer 9

Not much time left before Jesus comes back. Christians know this and want the best for you.
We are to warn of God's wrath that is shortly to come.

Ezekiel 33:4Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

We are the watchmen. You have been warned.

Answer 10

If this really gets to you like you're saying it does, I think that you need to find a way to put down some inoffensive boundaries.

It's sucks that it's that way, I know. People are people and they are going to comment on everything from your hair, or lack thereof, the size of your huge butt, or lack thereof and your religion, or lack thereof, etc.

People mean well but they really don't think sometimes. So,until someone installs a shut-up button somewhere that you can press, it's up to you to set down a verbal boundary.

Good luck. I hope this helps.