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.
