STOP PRAYING FOR ME!!!!!

[FM Arouet666]

Sorry, I have been working way too many hours lately and feel a rant coming on. I have seen a huge increase in the number of people who feel the need to pray for me. I am a surgeon and often see very sick and dying patients, so religious hysteria comes with the territory.

However, the alleged chimp mandate has driven religious confrontation to an extreme. It seems that everyone feels free to proclaim their faith and assume universal complicity.

Fine, your relative is dying and you wish to pray for the surgeon. Great, I can take it. But a damn hernia operation or may personal favorite, a tiny arm cyst. You don't need to get jesus involved or pray for my soul, I am pretty sure you will live, even if I am condemned to a fiery burning hell.

Thanks for your time, I feel better now......:evilgrin:

[Catch22Dem]

1. I love it!!!!

Excellent post.

My best friend is in grad school in NC and was talking to his mom in WA when he told her he had to go study for an exam. She said "I'll pray for you" and he asks her if that means he doesn't need to study. She said "of course you need to study." He says "Then what the fuck is the point, mom?"

They do that all the time. That particular story really cracked me up. I agree, don't pray for me either.

[Fridays Child]

2. Can I get an unprayed-for operation from you, please?

I think I'd like some of the crapola removed from my right knee.

[FM Arouet666]

15. Sorry, no knees

If you got crap in your arteries or abdomen, I'm here for ya. Just no praying. Please....:evilgrin:

[Fridays Child]

31. Pouches and tubes--gotcha.

[roguevalley]

3. I don't think God cares one way or the other if someone prays.

Truly, I don't. He's more concerned with all the other stuff. I think people do it because, rather than getting comfort from their religion, they use it to assuage their fears. I know what you mean. There was a great spoof of this dependency crap on SNL one time, with Sally Fields praying as she went from room to room, doing mundane chore after another. Truly interesting.

[Ron Green]

4. One thing about praying that I think I've figured out....

is that if I pray just "Thanks" all the time, rather than any sort of appeal or supplication, my life seems to work better. After all, if you were God, and you heard one guy saying, "Please, huh, can I, just please, just a little bit for me, please?" and there was another guy saying, "Thanks, God, you the man, I'm so happy with my life and all my blessings!" ... which one would you rather hear?

[Carson]

27. Both. Biblically speaking, Jesus said to "ask". Of course, one

should also be thankful for blessings.

[Ron Green]

30. Right. I believe the asking, though, is very different from asking for

something from someone. About the only request I can imagine is "Your will be done," which is a very broad wish, because we don't know God's will, do we? Another prayer seems right to me is that of forgiveness, both in asking for it and in offering it; and at some point asking and forgiving become the same, as the self becomes the Self. (In my understanding.)

[Califooyah Operative]

5. may god bless you.

hehe

[FM Arouet666]

16. The Lard thanks you. n/t

[Streetdoc270]

6. I'm praying for you...

to be able to ignore all the people who say that they are praying for you.











(aint I a little stinker!)

(and It could be worse..... they could be praying ON you)

[FM Arouet666]

11. Thanks, and while you have god on the line

see if he can find me a padded room. :evilgrin:

[progmom]

7. Ok.

Just as you have the right to not believe, I have the right to my beliefs. And if I want to pray for you, I'm gonna do it. And if me telling you about it pisses you off, then I can only say: Suck it up, buddy. There are worse things that could happen. Truly.

[FM Arouet666]

9. You have that right

Pray away, but where does it stop. You pray for me or ask me about my beliefs. But why stop there, why not ask me as condition for employment, or travel, or about the education of children. Worse things can and do happen, there has never been a religious state which did not lead to excesses which involved oppressing the non-believer. This revival of religious expression, influenced by the current administration, is beginning to infringe on the bodies, minds, and rights of those which choose not to believe.

As for "Suck it up, buddy," I am not sure this is anatomically possible, but I will give it a shot.:evilgrin:

[progmom]

12. Generally, if I tell someone I am praying for them...

..I say - "Not sure if this would mean anything to you, but I'll keep you in my prayers and thoughts." Then I quickly change the subject.

Would that be ok (asked in a very non-agressive way, which I suppose you can't tell when I am typing) or would you still be uncomfortable?




As for the rest of what you said, well, if that happened, it would suck.

Oh - and my religious expression, if you choose to call it that, has nothing to do at all with the current piece of shit administration. Your reaction to it might, but my expression is mine alone.

[FM Arouet666]

14. And that is fine

I am ranting tonight, a bit too much stress with all the death and sickness, but I generally just smile at such comments and if asked about my love of jesus, I nod and quickly change the subject.

As for your religious expression, I agree, the current administration and fundie cult do not own the christian religion or religious expression in generally. However, it does cultivate an atmosphere where extremism can flourish and seek to define the expression for you.

My outrage is not toward individual's with religious beliefs, but with a system which acts to make their religious beliefs the norm, and all others an aberration. And, yes, that would suck.

[fluffernutter]

35. it would totally suck.

i completely agree with you.

and, i just wanted to say, thanks for what you do, for your hard work. no prayers, just a high five :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. I'm graying for you

Interpret as you wish. :evilgrin:

[FM Arouet666]

17. I will gray for you

Oh Goddess of Guinness I pray for your soothing darken hue the strength of your stout will be grayed for by all who worship purity.:toast: :beer:

[LynneSin]

10. I'm going to pray that you remove this cynicism from your heart

:eyes:

[FM Arouet666]

13. Nope, I am going to pray he puts it back

That is, if prayer works for an atheist. Hell, I will go burn a bush, no pun intended, or smite a small defenseless animal instead. Probably would have the same effect as prayer. :evilgrin:

Your right, I do feel very cynical tonight.

[KT2000]

18. Amen to that!

Have noticed an abundance of prayers, blessings and the lord be with you's since the election birthed the morality movement. People falling all over themselves to prove they are on board.

I live in a small town where I have learned to avoid businesses that advertise with the fish symbol. I avoid the auto repair shop where I have been told they pray over your car. I avoid the doctor who prays over his hospitalized patients. Did make the mistake of going to a restaurant where the owner asked every diner if they knew Jesus loved them while they were eating.

The main reason I avoid such businesses is that I cannot go along with this stuff - I do not believe in it. When they figure that out - they charge you more.

Besides that - it is just rude to impose one's religion on someone else.

[FM Arouet666]

20. Thanks for your support

And I agree, democrats should boycott overtly religious establishments. For those religious democrats who will undoubtedly wish to flame me, I am not saying that religion is wrong. However, to proclaim a religious preference in business is to invite prejudice against those not following your faith. Most who feel the need to publicize their religion will be republicans. Time to take action, if you are a religious GOP nut, don't expect my patronage.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

19. Not everyone who prays is religious .

But I know what you mean . Quite often I get people who think they are ultra high and mighty because they are " religious " and when I tell them that I don't have a religion , they say " I'm gonna pray for you . " and this irks me because they think that I am doing something wrong or I am on the path to the devil which is not true . I do pray for people but I don't tell them directly that I am doing it . To each their own , I just choose not to wear my beliefs on my sleeve .

I posted a topic about this a month ago :
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2074019

[FM Arouet666]

21. I agree with you

Your cross post was very telling. You are religious without a specific religion. I have no problem with that, in fact, I support an individuals right to believe in anything they want. That is part of America. I tend to receive the comment "I will pray for you" as morally condescending. There is nothing wrong with prayer, I don't take stock in it, but I am not an intellectual or moral authority. You pray, I do not, the world can continue at peace, why can't the rest of the world understand.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

22. Exactly I take it condescending too ...

its just as if they were saying " you are doing something I don't like / I don't believe in / you are going to hell " . And I am always like " I thank you for wasting so much time in thought of me - I don't even think of myself at all - when I am sure there are other people who actually really need prayers ... "

Edited to say ( I don't how you will respond to this ) but I think that you as a surgeon , are doing something more commendable than prayer . I can only imagine the things that you see through your work . So I can only say " thank you " for the work that you do . I commend you .

[FM Arouet666]

25. Thanks

Yes I am a surgeon, and parents and friends think that it is really noble work. The truth is that it is hard, painful work. Death and suffering takes its toll, on family's of patients and on the doctors. I am annoyed by the prayer line as much as I am uncomfortable about the deification of the physician. I have had two families give me a big bear hug this week thanking me for saving a loved one. Truth be known, I was one of numerous doctors who could have done the procedure. You don't praise the auto mechanic, he is just human, so why praise the doctor? Anyway, I ramble, thanks for the response.

[msgadget]

23. You mean you didn't read that study - book, actually - about the

power of prayer on the healing process? It described in detail the various forms of prayer some surgeons practice prior to wielding the shiv. One guy, I believe (or I'm making it up, who really knows) shakes rattles from atop his desk. And, what about about people healing without complications or infections because they were prayed for, NOT because of your and the hospital's paltry efforts.

You're an ungrateful wretch, you are. And, this is what's gonna happen to ya: :nuke:

Edit for:evilgrin:

[FM Arouet666]

26. That it

Next time a person says that they will pray for me, I will redirect the prayer for post-op infections. As long as I am out of the foolishness.

[neweurope]

24. I believe in God. And I pray - well, sometimes. But religion is something

altogether private. It would annoy my no end if a total stranger expressed his intention to pray for me no matter in what context.

Everytime religion goes public an ill wind rises up...

[Carson]

28. Question: Are these people praying on behalf of your soul or

praying for you that everything goes well during the surgery?

If it's the latter, frankly, I don't see what's to be upset about, or how it could be construed as condescending.

I personally pray for the leaders of our country (yes, even when they're Repug). I pray that the decisions made will be the right ones and be beneficial, etc.

If it's the former, ("Doc, before you go in to operate, have you accepted Jesus?") I can see where you could get offended.

One side gets angry that people don't pray, and the other side gets angry when people pray. What a world. ;-)

[Solon]

29. I certainly understand where you are coming from...

Hell I just want to say, "may the Goddess bless you and keep you." to a Christian, and they get offended that you would ask a pagan God/dess for a blessing on THEM. I would not say you are oversensitive, I feel the same way.

[gypsy11]

32. Hey good one...

I'll have to remember that. :)

[progmom]

33. As a Christian, I would take prayers to whatever deity you got

But maybe I am not a typical Christian. I just figured prayers/good thoughts were a good thing. I'm talking about situations when someone is going through a tough time - not "I'll pray for your soul that you find Jesus" THAT shit is annoying.

[gypsy11]

34. I have a family member

That prays for my soul every time she sees me. Because I wear a pentacle around my neck and believe in different Gods then she. I never thought of offering the Goddess' blessing back to her. I'm sure she'd have a melt down. She's more like a Fundy though. Not at all like the normal Christan folks that I know.
I also believe that good thoughts and prayers, GENUINE good thoughts and prayers, are a good thing. Can't go wrong with positive vibes of any kind. :)

[mondo joe]

36. I will sacrifice a black cat, rat and goat to Satan in your name

That's what I like to tell anyone who wants to pray for me.

[calico1]

37. NO!!!

I have two black kitties! Sacrifice a stuffed cat if you must but not a real one!