Atheist if you're getting ready to eat with family&/or friends,weather at home or a restauraunt...?

Question

And you're asked to bless the food.Do you comply and say a prayer, or do you respectfully decline?

Answer 1

christian

Answer 2

I am athiest. Mom's hard-core Catholic, my brother married a nice Jewish girl and converted, my other brother's father-in-law is a Baptist preacher.

so, If out of THAT lot I am the one called to say Grace, well, I feel kind of all warm and fuzzy inside.

At family functions hosted at my own home, I DO intone a blessing at the meal. I see nothing hypocritical about asking whatever powers that may be to look beneficently upon those I love and cherish.

It usually comes out like this: "Let's take a moment to say "thanks" for the opportunity to be together and enjoy one another. I am lucky to have you in my life. Thank you all."

and that settles it. No intonations Heavenly Father, blessed whoever, in Whoozits' name, or anything else.

I hope this answer helps. I've found that most people who seriously ask about the lifestyle of agnostics are secretly wrestling with their own demons (no pun intended).

Good luck with it.

Answer 3

Well, I'm not an atheist. I'm an agnostic--I don't know, I can't know, and I kind of don't care.

I can't remember the last time I was asked to do something like pray over a dinner (bless the food? I can do that?! Miracle hands!!!!!) My family and friends know that I am not religious and would not ask me to do this. I tend to socialize with people who are more like me than not, and I can't imagine who would even think to propose this.

I do have a friend at work, who bows her head and silently prays for a few seconds before she eats, whether we eat in or go out to lunch together. She doesn't make a huge deal out of it, although I get the sense she's "witnessing" to me by bowing her head--surely her diety could hear her prayer without that affectation, but I don't comment, and she doesn't say anything about it to me. I like a lot of things about her. I'm not afraid I will catch religion from her by her praying in front of me.

I suppose, theoretically, if my mother in law, or someone like that asked me to do this at a family dinner, I would do it. It's my private business what I believe, I wouldn't want to debate my well considered views on philosophy at a family dinner like that, and I don't really have any reason to refuse to do it, in a spirit of good will and the communal sense of all the other things we share as a family. My mother in law is a devout Catholic, and she is very good to me, appreciates me, and respects me. I can't imagine she would put me on the spot like this, but then again, I don't talk to her about my beliefs, and she may not really know. I have a don't ask, don't tell approach to it a lot of times. If (theoretically) she was asking me to do it to mess with me, I would have to talk to her about it in private later, and get some things straightened out. I would say that I probably have less of a problem saying a prayer to nobody to make my mother in law happy than a Christian would have saying a prayer to Mohammed, or vice versa.

I have a much bigger issue with prayer at a business function, and I don't bow my head when someone gives an invocation or says a prayer at a seminar, etc., that has nothing to do with religion. How presumptious! I don't dignify it with my participation.

Answer 4

Well, my family and friends know I'm atheist, so they wouldn't ask that.

But if by some chance they forgot and did ask, then I would probably respectfully decline.

There have been times where I was in a group of family members that took it upon themselves to say grace, when that happens I just sit there and don't say anything because I have no wishes to infringe on their beliefs.

Answer 5

I say a nice prayer to Zeus after which my Mother looks at me sadly and says "thank you Jesus for this food". If she wants to say a prayer before a holiday dinner i respectfully bow my head and think about Jessica Alba naked. If i am at my Grandfather or Uncles house on a holiday i do the same. They do not know my beliefs as it would lead to a lot of anger and argument.

Answer 6

hmmmm ..... non of my family or my friends ever did that.

When I was in the army long time ago, there is one who would say prayers for his food. By the time he opened his eyes, all the good food are gone and left him with the food which, well, isn't really nice (I am trying to be diplomatic). After a few tries, a few complains to the senior officers, a few letters to the authorities, he gave up his prayers.

Answer 7

No I don't say a prayer. I have never had anyone ask me to bless food. If they did I would politely say, no why don't you do the blessing.

It's not a time to start a debate.

Answer 8

if they dont already know then I'll just go along with it. picking fights is different here than it is in the real world.

in the real world we'll actually go along with it to avoid ruining the moment. we're not always @$$#0L3$, just here on R&S or on the internet.

Its like when two friends of my family came over, one who teaches catholicism I think and his sister, I never mentioned that I was an atheist or agnostic. Why ruin the experience?

Now in my philosophy class on the other hand when we talk about god, there they know Im an atheist. But in other occasions, I'll leave it alone.

Answer 9

That question tells me the "alleged" atheist is not a "real" atheist. A real secret service agent will take a bullet for the President anytime, anywhere without even stopping to think or ask. Anyone else may stop to ask "is he a good President?" "what are the consequences of me taking the bullet?" "shouldn't I try to push the President aside and we both can live?" If this person is a real atheist he or she must stand up for their true belief and decline in no uncertain terms and "come out of the closet" so to speak. True Christians know the Bible instructs us that Jesus says never be ashame of Me or I will be ashame of you in front of My Father (God). I'll take a bullet for Jesus any day, anytime, anywhere because that's who I am. What are you? Real or wanna be?

Answer 10

You're looking for the word whether, not weather.

I've never been asked to bless the food. If I were asked I would, politely as possible, explain that I don't believe in that stuff.

Answer 11

i decline respectfully, most in my extended family know not to ask me, the rest of the people i know outside of my family are also atheists or non practising so it's a non issue in the end.