"I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

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nobspeople
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"I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #1

Post by nobspeople »

When asked, elsewhere, if I believe in God, my response got a 'I'll pray for you' response of its own.
It struck me as insincere, based on the overall 'feeling' of the conversation (in other words, I was honest and not kissing christian rear like I was supposed to, it seems). I have zero (0) belief that this person when and prayed for me. And even if he did, what would he pray for? My logic and reasoning be tweaked to meet his goals; that my free will be revoked in some fashion; that god would shine its light in my life (been there done that got the t-shirt and returned it with the receipt - all of which he already knew prior). Make no mistake: I can offend when properly stimulated in a way in which there is absolutely no doubt.
But this isn't the first time, when being honest within a discussion where I didn't kiss up to christians or their god (or somehow offended Billy Bob christian when that wasn't the intent) that I heard this type of response. Not one of them seemed sincere.
It made me wonder if this is simply nothing more than a christian being 'snide', hiding behind their 'faith'.
More blatant snide chritian responses are things like trying to legalize a belief and christians complaining when they're being treated no different than anyone else*.

For discussion:
To believers:
Do you actually think anyone believes you when, during a discussion, you say 'I'll pray for you'?
If you do pray, what do you pray for?
To non-believers:
Do you think these prayer warriors actually pray for you, or is this simply, as stated above, an excuse to be snide and 'win' the argument?
Have you ever experienced a positive result that you can attribute directly to this prayer from this prayer warrior?



*To be fair, this isn't only a christian issue. But as this is a christian forum....so yeah....
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #2

Post by TRANSPONDER »

In the "Theist - English dictionary and phrase book "I'll pray for you" translates as "I pity you, you poor damned heathen as you'll burn in Hell" (see also "Bless your heart")

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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #3

Post by Purple Knight »

nobspeople wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:05 amTo non-believers:
Do you think these prayer warriors actually pray for you, or is this simply, as stated above, an excuse to be snide and 'win' the argument?
Have you ever experienced a positive result that you can attribute directly to this prayer from this prayer warrior?
I have, and I think it entirely depends on the person. The glory of a good insincere comment is that it mimics a sincere one, otherwise it wouldn't work as you describe. So there must be sincere people the insincerity is piggybacking off of.

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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #4

Post by nobspeople »

Purple Knight wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 5:55 pm
nobspeople wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:05 amTo non-believers:
Do you think these prayer warriors actually pray for you, or is this simply, as stated above, an excuse to be snide and 'win' the argument?
Have you ever experienced a positive result that you can attribute directly to this prayer from this prayer warrior?
I have, and I think it entirely depends on the person. The glory of a good insincere comment is that it mimics a sincere one, otherwise it wouldn't work as you describe. So there must be sincere people the insincerity is piggybacking off of.
Can you expound on the above bolded section?
And to the underlined section, why does that matter?
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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #5

Post by Purple Knight »

nobspeople wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 6:42 amCan you expound on the above bolded section?
Because if people were to just say, "You're an idiot and what you did is stupid and doesn't work," they look like the a-hole for saying that. So instead, they go for insincerity, and say something like, "Oh, you're trying so hard," that mimics a positive comment, but isn't one.
nobspeople wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 6:42 amAnd to the underlined section, why does that matter?
If nobody uses a particular phrase positively, it stops working for what the insincere person wants it for. If a phrase is always used to disparage, it uses its power to both disparage and be free of consequence for the person doing the disparaging.

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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #6

Post by otseng »

Purple Knight wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 3:42 pm Because if people were to just say, "You're an idiot and what you did is stupid and doesn't work," they look like the a-hole for saying that.
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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #7

Post by nobspeople »

Purple Knight wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 3:42 pm
nobspeople wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 6:42 amCan you expound on the above bolded section?
Because if people were to just say, "You're an idiot and what you did is stupid and doesn't work," they look like the a-hole for saying that. So instead, they go for insincerity, and say something like, "Oh, you're trying so hard," that mimics a positive comment, but isn't one.
nobspeople wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 6:42 amAnd to the underlined section, why does that matter?
If nobody uses a particular phrase positively, it stops working for what the insincere person wants it for. If a phrase is always used to disparage, it uses its power to both disparage and be free of consequence for the person doing the disparaging.
I get what you're saying now - thanks for the clarification.
When people do this, I think they think they're 'getting away with it' or 'being sneaky' and the other person doesn't understand what they're trying to do. Many times, they overestimate themselves, or underestimate other people.
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #8

Post by Purple Knight »

nobspeople wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:14 pmI get what you're saying now - thanks for the clarification.
When people do this, I think they think they're 'getting away with it' or 'being sneaky' and the other person doesn't understand what they're trying to do. Many times, they overestimate themselves, or underestimate other people.
Honestly I think their goal is actually to be understood as being nasty, but be just sneaky enough that the person they're disparaging can never have any real recourse for it, or enforce any social consequences which would otherwise be the result of that disparagement.

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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #9

Post by TRANSPONDER »

Of course there's a well - meant element because they Think they are saving you from some kind of retribution. The atheists will often just see it as them wishing the atheists and their awkward questions would just go away, but we are bitter and twisted after 500 years of being possesses by the Rong.

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Re: "I'll pray for you" and other... insincere?... christian sayings

Post #10

Post by nobspeople »

Purple Knight wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 3:42 pm
nobspeople wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:14 pmI get what you're saying now - thanks for the clarification.
When people do this, I think they think they're 'getting away with it' or 'being sneaky' and the other person doesn't understand what they're trying to do. Many times, they overestimate themselves, or underestimate other people.
Honestly I think their goal is actually to be understood as being nasty, but be just sneaky enough that the person they're disparaging can never have any real recourse for it, or enforce any social consequences which would otherwise be the result of that disparagement.
A good point. And perhaps right - at least in some (many?) cases. In this world, it 'takes all kinds', as they say.
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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