wptw, your posts are usually intelligent. I would assume that, if you are offended by "please pray for" that you would not bother to read the thread. The Greek community is supposed to have somewhat decent academic standards, so anyone who can't understand doesn't really have my sympathy.

Hi honeychile,

Personally, I don’t think prayer requests are a big deal, though I do find them just a little annoying. Maybe it’s because I get so many of them by email (from strangers and acquaintances alike), they’ve become just another glistening pink hunk of spam on my electronic plate. Maybe it’s the inherent assumption that everybody out there prays. Maybe people who aren’t in a traditional minority are just ultra-sensitive when they find themselves in the rare position of being in the minority (white male agnostics, for example). Whatever – it’s easy enough to ignore.

What really bugs me is the “if you don’t like it, don’t read it” argument on message boards. It’s like… Here, I’ll just leave this giant turd on your doorstep, and if you don’t like it, well just step over it. And if you don’t like the smell, well just don’t smell it. Nobody’s forcing you to smell it. And oh, hey, I’m going to tell some Polish jokes now, so if you're Polish or are offended by Polish jokes then just don’t read them. Thanks.

Perhaps the conversation would be more interesting if we actually debated the merits of posting prayer requests, instead of just saying “if you don’t like it, don’t read it”. Just a thought. If people don’t like my thought, they may simply reverse time and unread it.

wptw

EDIT: And actually, I didn't read the "please pray for" threads - I ignored them as usual. The one I read was "stop asking people to pray". That one interested me. :)

wptw,

Actually, your post makes a lot of sense after thinking about it for a minute -- which, obviously, I haven't done before.

It really is too easy to say, "Just don't read it."

There are some posts that, initially, I don't like or am not interested in, but for some bizarre reason feel compelled to read anyway.

Good point.

If the thread is entitled "please pray for...." then yeah, it's quite easy to skip over that thread and not read it. I try to skip over all the vulgar, disrespectful threads because they offend me. If you'll notice, I also mentioned the merits of these threads for the people that post them. I did not just say "hey, don't read it".

So, so true. It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction said by people who don't know how to express their feelings any better.

I don't mind the prayer posts, and I'm a dyed in the wool agnostic/leaning towards atheist. I still have compassion for many of the people within the GC community, and if someone with whom I have gotten close has strife in their life, I would like to support them in any way I can. It may not be prayer in the traditional sense of the word, but I'm certainly thinking about them.

To quote from Peanuts, "Oh Good Grief"!
For the last several months I was deployed in support of the 3ID. During that time I asked for the GC community to pray for the safety and success of my troops and for wisdom and street smarts for me so that I wouldn't get my guys into anything stupid.
We are now just back in CONUS and I am certainly saying prayers of thanks for getting all my men home alive.
My Dad lives in Virginia and is apparently in the path of the approaching Hurricane. I am praying that he and all who live along the coast are spared what could be serious danger and destruction.
I would welcome anyone who might want to join in and say thanks that all my guys got home more or less in one piece, to continue (as I do) to ask for protection, wisdom, and honorable conduct regarding the soldiers still deployed forward, and that the East coast of America be spared from this storm.
If you find this offensive then so be it, tune out. If you wish to ask God, under any of His Names and descriptions, for protection or to say thanks, then I thank you for your kindness and solidarity. If you do not pray or do not acknowledge a Diety, then just wish us luck when we ask. Why take offense?
I am, incidently, a Roman Catholic, and I do not find it at all offensive when someone asks me to pray for their intentions. I rather consider it a privelege to be asked to add my intercession when I chat with God. After all, that is what prayer is all about, just having a conversation with with "the Boss". One does not have to always ask for something, one can simply say Good Morning, thought I'd like to say hello, or Hay, thanks.

Please pray for my arteries after eating this monstrous, poorly-fat drained plate of hamburger helper....lol, j/k

I'm going to extend the only other Canadian post about praying...there's an inherent difference in religion between the Canadian and American society. Using any way you want to calculate one's involvement w/religion, the stats prove that Canadians on average hold less value for religion in our day-to-day lives. Now, i'm not an atheist, but one thing i noticed on this board two & and half years ago is that quite often during a need for comfort or loss of tragedy, a poster would ask for a prayer and many would respond. Interesting, i thought, because never in any form of communication in my life growing up did i hear someone ask to keep another in my/your prayers. But nevertheless, i didn't find it to be offensive or disrespectful - just a way for someone to mourn.

My fictional great grandfather died yesterday after a long illness. It’s been a really tough time. I’d like to ask everyone in the Greekchat community to please take a moment today and conduct a ritual slaughter of a chicken in memory of Gramps.

Thanks so much for your support!

wptw

P.S. Dekeguy, in the context of a message board, exactly how does one “tune out”? I mean, I tried shutting my eyes REALLY tight, but when I opened them again, the offending post was still there. Maybe if I wait until my screensaver comes on?

It would be nice if we could ignore certain words the way we can ignore posters...but I don't think even John has that power. :)

Well said, wptw!

Saracasm really doesn't seem to work on this issue. Sometimes sarcasm proves a point, but it's just not happening here.

I don't mind prayer requests on GC. I think that religion is a personal private issue so I don't really discuss my faith here since I don't think that it is an appropriate forum. Other people feel differently, and that's great, too.

I actually have thought about praying for some of the people who make requests, but how would actually do it. "Please give fill in the blank from greekchat the strength to fill in the blank." I don't know, it seems irreverent to me. I might be wrong though.

Sarcasm tends to succeed where repeatedly stating the obvious does not.

wptw
P.S. Is this topic too "sacred" for sarcasm?

Is Valkyrie your real name? And if so, whats your ethnicity? I was curious if you know what a Valkyrie really is? If you don't know what a Valkyrie is, it's a Norse deity. Valkyries were the women in the halls of Valhalla who picked up the slain warriors after they fought and died a glorious death. They also served meade (alchohol) to the warriors before they fought. I just thought it was kind of neat that someone was actually named after those women.

I dont know for others but arent godlike figures part of most organizations. So what is so wrong for asking for prayer. My fraternity was founded at a Weslyan Campus we were built around christian beliefs so praying for someone or something is ok