If an atheist on their deathbed asked you NOT to pray for them, would you honor that wish? If a dying friend of a different religion asked you to pray to their god(ess) would you?
Why or why not?
(Now don't be mean, I'm being serious)
This is what got me thinking about it:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070330080407AAlR13C&r=w&pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFMhjFWWC0y8R7MXbL4mAYUUEMdJP20ZGn8WKrcYlPdbOjPbLCTaR_kePkH7L2gGdjJaw--&paid=answered#EsR6UjW9ADfcir7dBMjmWlKTnjRh9PhdG7eeZrcX5gRAklMO7Bb5
2007-03-31 12:55:17 · 16 answers · asked by LX V 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes. I would most certainly respect their last wishes as I would hope people would respect mine.
And I would like to note, I have actually done that in the past. I have had people I care about die who were Atheists and didn't want any prayers and I have had people I care about die who worship different Gods than I do who's last request was for me to say a prayer to their Gods on their behalf when they died. In all those cases I respected their wishes. I must admit, that was the only time I have ever said a prayer to Anubis. The way I see it, I wasn't being unfaithful to my religion, I was being loyal to my kin and honoring them in the way that they wanted.
2007-03-31 13:00:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
No - I would pray that at the last second the atheist would have a change of heart and accept Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness and therefore not suffer eternal hell. Now not to cause a dying person distress I would do it quietly.
No - The Lord has commanded us to have no other gods before Him. I would pray the same prayer as a do for the atheist.
There are absolute truths and even if rejected by our world, that doesn't change the fact that there are absolute truths.
2007-03-31 13:04:22 · answer #2 · answered by Remember Back 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If an atheist on their deathbead asked me not to pray, I would not pray, outloud anyway. My own concern for their salvation, even if they do not believe, compels me to. The same is for someone of a different religion, I could not pray to a god that I do not believe in, but can to the One I do.
As a pastor, I sat at many a deathbed of both Christian and not.
2007-03-31 13:03:16 · answer #3 · answered by Deus Luminarium 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Such a complicated issue. Here's everything that decides it, and it all depends on your belief of if God is in control of everything (his Sovereignty) and of whether it is true that He chooses who are His. People can argue on this for the rest of their lives. Here is what I would do, I would explain to them I can only do what I know. If they don't want me to pray for them I will anyway, if they want me to pray to their god(ess) I will pray to the one true God because it makes no sense to go against what I know is truth and change that just to please someone. If I truly love this person, and I know truth why wouldn't I give it to them? If they were dying of some incurable disease and i had the cure but they only asked for water to quench their thirst WOULD I GIVE THEM WATER? NO. I would give them the cure (and then the water ;) haha.) Whether or not you believe that I follow an empty untrue faith, from what I have seen and experience, I know truth, and that truth is the cure to all that are spiritually dying in this world, and spiritual death is a thousand times worse than physical. That is my honest belief.
2007-03-31 13:04:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I understand exactly what you mean...and have to relate it to what is currently going on in my life... I am a Christian that is witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses... I am literally afraid for their salvation, I pray for them all the time even though they tell me I'm the one that needs the prayers. That being said, I know that I also pray for atheists to learn of God, and most especially if they were on their deathbed, I would pray for them.
2007-03-31 13:02:14 · answer #5 · answered by ~♥Anna♥~ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would have to honor the request of the atheist just as God would honor their free will. I could not honor the request to pray to another god or godess. That would be an instance when I'd have to stand on my commitment to God. I would try to find a way to comfort that person though.
2007-03-31 13:01:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would probably honor the Atheists wishes, but I can not pray to another god, for the simple fact that I serve and love God the only real god.
2007-03-31 13:05:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If someone tells you not pray for them don't. In the bible Jesus told the disciples to preach the gospel to the people and if there were not accepted in a certain place to dust of themselves leave and take their peace with them.
I refuse to pray to anyone else's god, to pray to anyone other than the one true God is tantamount to praying to the devil. Why pray to some fake god if you are a true believer. To be a true believer you are 100% sure of the existence of your God and very strong in your faith.
2007-03-31 13:04:38 · answer #8 · answered by JESUS IS LOVE 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would still pray for the atheist, just because they don't believe , I do believe so I would pray
as for a friend who asked me to pray to
any other God, but the God/Jesus I believe in
NO I would NOT do that , I only pray to the
God that I believe in & NO other
take care
2007-03-31 13:08:51 · answer #9 · answered by start 6-22-06 summer time Mom 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sadly, I do not think it would do any good to pray for them if they asked you not to, since even facing death, their heart is hardened against God. One cannot be saved against their will. Yet, you may pray that in these last moments God may soften their heart and grant them repentence. I cannot pray to any God but the Living God, through Jesus Christ, to pray to another would deny the lordship of Christ, and the truth of God.
2007-03-31 13:07:20 · answer #10 · answered by W J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋