I hate it when Christians tell me this. Like when I'm going through a really hard time, and they say I just need to pray and have faith. That is not going to solve everything. If I have no money for rent, the money is not going to just magically fall from the sky if I pray and have faith. If a loved one is extremely sick, they are not going to get better just because I prayed nonstop. Some things aren't that simple and it just makes them seem like they have no clue what I'm going through when they say things like that.
I choose to hear it as, "You need to have faith in yourself that you are strong enough to get through this," whether that is by the grace of God, or your own inner strength. I also kind of get irked when people say these things because, as you say, I don't believe that God is a magician who will fix your problems if you ask him to. But I do believe that I'm a strong person, that I will cope, that I will get through whatever it is and work it out.
don't like the answer? Thank them and don't do it.
simple.
I am Christian and I understand they are trying to be helpful but it seems like a pat answer. And sometimes they say pray and it will all work out, and I do, but it doesn't work out. And when i ask them why, they can't answer that. They don't know what to say to that.
Quoting Hanab818:
I'm Christian and I hate saying it. To me it feels like Christians believe that if they pray to God and sit back doing nothing what they want will drop in their lap. I believe that if I pray to God for something I need or want he will guide me and SHOW me how to obtain what it is I am asking for. But I also know that not everyone believes in God so I don't say stuff like that to others. My generic go to is I hope everything works out.
Quoting pce68:I am Christian and I understand they are trying to be helpful but it seems like a pat answer. And sometimes they say pray and it will all work out, and I do, but it doesn't work out. And when i ask them why, they can't answer that. They don't know what to say to that.
Quoting Hanab818:
I'm Christian and I hate saying it. To me it feels like Christians believe that if they pray to God and sit back doing nothing what they want will drop in their lap. I believe that if I pray to God for something I need or want he will guide me and SHOW me how to obtain what it is I am asking for. But I also know that not everyone believes in God so I don't say stuff like that to others. My generic go to is I hope everything works out.
I know the feeling, but I do have faith in prayer as well. When I was young, my aunt had inoperable cancer. Esophogial cancer...the tumor was so large and it was wrapped around her esophogus. She had months left and not a lot of hope. But we have a large family and we all prayed and prayed, then the tumor was just gone. She has been perfectly healthy to this day. So, while I know how you feel cause it pisses me off too when I complain about money problems and people tell me to pray (yeah, is God going to transfer a crap load of money into my account? Don't think so) but I do think that it's worth a shot sometimes. Miracles do still happen, especially when you're not expecting it. But if you don't have faith, it isn't going to do any good. Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear, just my opinion.
LOL. I remember when my father was in hospice, in the last phase of toxoplasmosis from AIDS, my well-meaning/imbecile cousin told me that she'd be happy to swing by and pick me up and we could meet with her priest at church and pray for a miracle. She'd been telling me, daily, that there was still hope for a miracle. I think the weed I was smoking that night wasn't doing the job and, when she suggested a church run, that's when I told her that there's no such thing as miracles and had she forgotten I was a fucking Atheist? She insisted that if I'd just pray to God and believe, God would grant a miracle. A week later, the nit-wit stood next to me, in front of my father's casket and actually said, "Well, now he's with God, in a better place. Now, he's happy." I told her, "He was an Atheist too and I'll bet he'd be a lot fucking happier if he wasn't dead."
That was twenty years ago. Just two weeks ago she said I'd been mean and it wouldn't have killed me to pray for a miracle. Clearly, you can't cure stupid.
what to do when the special needs kid is the bully?
Have you ever kept a secret from your spouse?
- pce68
on Mar. 14, 2013 at 11:40 PM