Non X-ians: Do the words Ill pray for you come across as arrogant prideful and condescending?

Question

They do for me too! christians can be such jerks when they want to be.

Its offensive because its like saying my beliefs are right and yours is of no consequence, its very rude and can be taken as an insult, I happen to be Pagan and my reasons for coming here are to find the worst of the worst christians and expose them for the demons they truly are

Answer 1

You forgot stupid.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 2

yes, I received the following email yesterday from a Christian after speaking up here about being an atheist:

"I am sorry that you have chosen to reject God, Jesus, and everlasting life with them in heaven so that you can continue to travel the world spreading the word of Satan. You are going to burn forever and God will end up refusing your soul. I am truly sorry that you are not smart enough to realize God's love. It is only through him and Jesus that you can truly be human and useful on this Earth, you might as well not be alive. But I will pray for God to open your eyes anyway".....

....I would post the response I sent back to him, but there are way too many curses and this answer will just get deleted.

Answer 3

"I'll pray for you" in my opinion is far less condescending than labeling someone who doesn't share your ideas a "jerk."

But I do thank you for the enlightenment, because all these years I believed it was the non X-ians who had exclusive rights to condescending terminology:

"...those stupid christians"
"jesus freaks"
"idiot christian"
"self-righteous christian"
etc.

Oh, and BTW that's not to be condescending to the non x-tian, just merely an observation.

Answer 4

I just see it as a pointless statement that shows how little these people actually think!

Why beg an all knowing being for a thing? After all their own bible makes it very clear that this God established beforehand who would be in heaven and hell. So even if their crap would be true it is pointless to pray for someone that appeariently is one that was created to be damned!

Don't get me wrong I don't believe in any of this crap! I simply like to point out how utterly stupid their ideas are! Prayer is nothing but begging! Just as faith is nothing but conditioning!

Answer 5

As someone who is not really all that religious yeah, it can get annoying. But, I was raised in a Christian household and I still have some deep seated religious beliefs that I learned in early childhood. So, usually when someone tells me they'll pray for me I just say "thank you" I mean really, what can it hurt? After all, they may be right!!

Answer 6

I've always like the description "self-satisfied." That one sums it up the best for me. I think it's best when said with spite. That's God's will at work.

It makes me think of the days of slavery in the States. Black people don't have the capacity to live on their own, so we'll give them work and a place to live. Freedom would just confuse them. Really, we're just trying to help.

Answer 7

I think the person who says that is just trying to help and give comfort. So, no-I do not mind at all.

What I do feel is unfeeling and perhaps condescending is if they say something like, ''I'll pray to Jesus for you''--particularly if they know I am Jew.

Answer 8

Depends on the context. I've seen it used in a humble and giving way - but I've also seen it used aggressively, which strikes me not only as arrogant and condescending, but also a perversion of faith.

Answer 9

I am not so much offended by these kinds of remarks. Instead I feel pity for them. And I laugh.

I laugh for many reasons:
1) They seriously will pray for me because the love of God inside them causes them to wish me well. That's funny.
2) They will probably pray for me but more in a vengeful manner: "Dear Lord, please allow that disgusting heretic to be punished for blaspheming you" blah blah blah. Funny!
3) They won't pray for me, but believe that the threat of prayer will somehow scare me. Hilarious.
4) They won't pray for me, but believe they have some kind of victory over me by verbalizing a declaration of prayer for me. Knee-slapper!
5) They know deep down inside that they have been pwn3d, but due to willful ignorance, they desperately shield themselves behind the pathetic cloak of "I'll pray for you" threats. Both sad and funny.
6) They're just plain stupid. Always funny.

Christians, I welcome you to pray for me. Hold hands in a circle and pray. Have a bake sale to raise funds to support a prayer group dedicated to my blasphemous behind. Fast if you need to. Do whatever it takes. Just make sure you waste as much time as humanly (or even godly) possible thinking about me rather than doing something useful or productive with your lives. I could always use a good laugh.

Answer 10

Depends. From my parents and close family members I don't take it as arrogant; I merely see it as one way they feel they can show their love for me and I accept that for what it is. From a perfect stranger who does not know a thing about me I take that as arrogant because they do it out of self-righteousness.

Answer 11

yah unless its sincerely said. if they say that because they know im not christian and think its going to change me then yes. if i tell them something tragic happened and they say it then its just the same as me wishing them well or hoping they get better. i will take it. depends on the "context" of the phrase.