Do You Get A Weird Feeling, when people tell you they pray for you? Options

I have two friends that are really serious about Christianity praying and stuff.
And the other day they said the pray for me alot. And me being a Satanist, I felt really weird. It was a slight twinge of something but I don't know what the feeling was. It was very weird. I feel emotions physically too. And my arms had a tingling sensation. It was really weird. Maybe them praying for me is giving me energy by sucking their energy...
I have no idea LOL!

Oh well.

Just strange.

~ Neris-

Do You Get A Weird Feeling, when people tell you they pray for you?

No, never. xoxo

And me being a Satanist, I felt really weird. It was a slight twinge of something but I don't know what the feeling was. It was very weird. I feel emotions physically too. And my arms had a tingling sensation. It was really weird.

A minor anxiety attack brought on by feeling persecuted for your beliefs.

When people tell me they pray for me I tell them thanks I need all the help I can get. But it doesn't provoke much of an emotional response.

I guess.

I get annoyed by it, but that's just because I had some former Satanic socialization. It's been a long time since then. Now, I just get annoyed because when people pray for me without knowing my situation I find it somewhat condescending. I am trying to work on that reaction, though, as I just learned that prayer energy may be helpful no matter where it comes from so long as one tunes into the how and what the prayer will do rather than the who is relaying it. Things just harmonize like that.

It depends. But just an emotional reaction and nothing psychic or anything like that. But since, in my youth, I was forced into Christian schools against my will, I feel really pissed off, but only if its said in a condescending manner, like "oh you poor unsaved soul, I shall pray for you because you are not a high and mighty Christian like myself, who is guaranteed a spot in heaven and am therefore above thy heathen ways"

Why are most xtians so judgemental? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/gun2.gif)
"Lord, save me from your followers"

But if someone really means it, in times of hardship, or just for a good positive boost, then I feel very grateful.

This post has been edited by flyingmojo: Nov 18 2007, 03:29 PM

I get prayed for a lot. I am still gay, heathen, immoral, and not saved.

So while I don't think it's always condescending, I no longer even pay attention to it, and never feel its effects on any level.

I also think that many people who say "I'll pray for you" either A: Don't, or B: Do, but with no sincerity, and no real knowledge of what it means to pray.

Many people pray with empty words - faith that they were taught to have, ritual prayers that amount to words and verses they repeat blindly, etc. I think the number of people who know how to pray is far outweighed by the number of people who 'pray' on a regular basis. Don't forget that the vast majority of religious individuals are only religious because they were told to be.

peace

Yeah, I feel offeneded. It makes mee think 'what is so wrong with me to make you do that? And plus you're praying to the wrong God.' (they are Christian) But it's more than that I just can't explain it properly.
But I would never say that to them.

I take a very different approach to it. But then again I have no set faith so there is no emotional charge to it. I think Acid09 is dead on.

People who offer to pray for you are hopefully doing what they believe is the best thing they can do for you. Now it may be more practical for them to give you $20. But it is what seems best.

A friend of mine had the same issue, except when it came from someone addressing him from a military point of view. Why because he felt it was an honor that they would think of his service to his country enough to pray for him.

After pointing out that there was little difference in the eyes of most Christians between praying for a soldier and praying for what they see as a lost soul, a person in pain, or in harms way.

Now if someone tells me they will pray that I find my way to Christ so that my soul does not have to endure eternity in hell fire…I am going to laugh in their face and begin ridiculing them, or ignore them. Probably would depend if I had anything more entertaining to do. I react to zealots in that fashion most of the time.

In essence, they are making a kind gesture, it might seem inappropriate, but if we are to take any higher ground, it is our job to identify where people are coming from, and respond in a way that they understand.

I know this may seem odd that I say this to a Satanist, but come on, most people are trying to be nice, society is more enjoyable when people are civil to each other. If one has more perspective then another, then they should recognize more.

People show their love in many different ways, I am all for people loving me and try to see it in their actions. It might be them taking me aside and telling me that they are worried about me. Or anything that may seem totally bizarre at the moment…like kicking me out of the house and forcing me to walk 25 miles and hitchhike another 120 to get back to school. But the kicking me out was to get me out of their face for a few hours so we did not try and kill each other.

However many people have trouble expressing themselves. They also have often have odd views of doing what is best.

Parents who are addicts, they love their family, but they are abusive or destructive. The drug of choice is an escape for them, but then it makes life worse for all others around them.

Think of the praying as an act of love, and move on.

@ Vagrant Dreamer

Many people pray with empty words - faith that they were taught to have, ritual prayers that amount to words and verses they repeat blindly, etc. I think the number of people who know how to pray is far outweighed by the number of people who 'pray' on a regular basis. Don't forget that the vast majority of religious individuals are only religious because they were told to be.

That is the most cynical statement I have seen you post…in fact I think your entire post is pretty outside the norm for you.

You clearly have some issues with Christians.

I am tempted to suggest some things, but in essence I think you might want to look pretty deep at this one. I think today most religious people are religious because of community, not because they are told to be. It may seem like the same thing but it is not. Having people who care for you in a selfless way is a beautiful thing, no matter who it is. Having people to turn to in times of need is also a beautiful thing.

About 10 years ago I thought Mormons where complete freaks with really good looking women who would come to my door and talk about their freakism. Later I learned a lot about the religion…still think it is freakish, but I also paid attention to their actions.

Yes, I admit having a weakness for beautiful, intelligent women talking passionately about anything.

In their community they help people out as best they can. They pull together in wonderful ways. The religions dogma is built around survival, they have a history of persecution. The religion is flexible, it changes when it is practical to do so. (I look at that aspect as both good, and sad as it can not be seen as holding to beliefs)

All said I have a very different perspective of Mormons after working with, speaking to them and learning more of their religion.

For people who grew up Mormon and then left, there are some big emotional issues there…but those that move past them, then see the beauty in their old religion.

My current ideological opposition is directed at PITA, but I have to admit I have never put too much emotion or effort into it.

This post has been edited by paxx: Nov 19 2007, 03:00 AM

in my case I grew up with the belief that prayer its as powerful as a spell, so I can not criticize anybody who prays...I belief it really creates a connection with my inner God, or did you actually thought that ancient wizards, sorcerers, and shamans(especially shamans) didi not pray????I know the power of prayer and its very great, so when somebody says they are praying for me I'm actually happy somebody actually cares for me that much to use that enormous power

@ Vagrant Dreamer

That is the most cynical statement I have seen you post…in fact I think your entire post is pretty outside the norm for you.

You clearly have some issues with Christians.

I am tempted to suggest some things, but in essence I think you might want to look pretty deep at this one. I think today most religious people are religious because of community, not because they are told to be.

Perhaps you're right about my cynicism, and there are few topics which get to me like religion and prayer.

Don't get me wrong, I do pray to Divine Providence, the Source, The Great Mind. But I was taught as a youngster - by christians, yes - that I must say my prayers at night and in the morning, over every meal, and that I just had to say "thank you for everything" and "please bless the people I love" and "please help me with this or that" - in that order, with no explanation of what faith really is, either because the adults that taught me 'prayer' didn't understand it or didn't know how to explain it to a kid. In my community, in the south, people mostly pray out of judgement. My family of a 150+ cousins, aunts, uncles, and second, third, and fourth cousins, aunts, and uncles - we're very southern - have almost all told me at some point "Oh, you're gay? You poor thing, I'm prayin' for ya." In so many words. While I don't doubt that they love me in the kind of peripheral way that extended family care about everyone in their gene pool, that kind of statement is made in judgement that my lifestyle goes contrary to the Law of God.

The handful that know about my heathen ways no longer speak to me, and more than once a rumor has arisen in my family that I am somehow responsible for one or another illness, misfortune, natural disaster, etc. Hence why I live in new york city now. Still ignorant, but of a less familiar flavor.

On the occasions that I have talked about God to my family members, and a lot of other people in the South - I went to a church with 15,000 congregates - it's the classical christian attitude that God is outside of creation, watching, judging, and helping the faithful. When I learned what real faith is, what real prayer was, I realized that I had a very different view of God, Religion, and my connection to the Divine than my peers in this subject.

In new york I have seen and worked with charity organizations who are non-religious. They are typically spiritual people, and some of them individually are christian, hindu, muslim, etc., but the point is that Religious people do not have a monopoly on selfless service and love. Religion is about sectarianism, about one group of people being better than others, about one group knowing the 'true path' while all others are lost and damned to hell. Or, all others will get it right next time. I have met only a handful of Religious people - a few hindus, mostly buddhists, a couple of muslims, and maybe three christians - who are truly selfless individuals, and in the case of the christians and muslims, they are rather independent in their beliefs about their religion.

But, I'm not really criticizing religion, they all have good points - I'm criticizing the people who make up the congregations. I have experienced, with christians, nothing but judgment, hypocrisy and backwards thinking. And while these are universal human traits, none do it with the divine authority better than christians and muslims. The only religious people I have ever had almost universal respect for? Jewish people. Never met a jew I didn't like. If they do judge just the same, then they keep their mouth shut about it, and never tell me they'll pray for me. THe most I ever got: "If you're life is wrong, and you are close to god, then god will help you fix it to be right. If he doesn't then you're fine. None of us really know what god wants, we just pay attention and try to figure it out. All the holy books we have are just records of other people trying to do just that." Paraphrased, this was some time ago.

So yes, I'm cynical. I suffered constantly from 'religious' people, particularly christians, when I was a child, all the way up into my adolescence, although by then I didn't care as much. People who will tell you they love selflessly, and use "I'm saved" as an excuse to act holier-than-thou, and talk about even one another - "She says she's saved, but I'll tell you, that woman just does not have the light of god in her!" Don't even get me started on old women who think they have the gift of prophecy. Never was there a nosier breed of christian with more to say to you.

While I may come off as perhaps somewhat emotional, I'm really not. At this point it's just a cold analysis. In my opinion, the action is worthless unless it is backed by truly selfless love. Especially when it comes to praying for people - if it's done with judgement, self-righteous vigor, self-love (I'm such a good christian because I pray for people), then it's tainted, and worthless. True prayer must be completely selfless, you must suspend all judgement, all worldly dogma, and open yourself to the Divine in a pure way. And if you do it enough, it sticks - at first just for a few hours, then a few days, and if you do it enough, one day it sticks more or less permanently. It's energetic. It's the effect that Divinity has on Consciousness, and it can be observed - both through people's actions, and through observation of the energetic quality of the individual. I have met few of those individuals, and they were mostly old. Something about old age seems to bring people closer to God in a realistic way - maybe because they realize death is just around the corner.

It is almost impossible to open yourself to the Divine in this way, if you have a preconceived notion of what it is, how it functions, what it wants, and how it wants it. The worst crime that religious people have committed, in my opinion, is to intermingle amongst all this good stuff, a bunch of lies/misconceptions, which not only corrupt people - or aide in corruption - but also separate people from divinity.

peace

This post has been edited by Vagrant Dreamer: Nov 19 2007, 02:05 PM

Praying over your food and other such things, in essence giving thanks for what you have. Not to mention bringing your attention to the “Now”. Thinking about your food as it enters you. Later drinking and thinking about that. Are all very powerful practices.

However they have been lost. Not in their overuse, but simply in the not keeping in mind their reason for being.

I am not apologizing for the way people treat others, I am only saying that for the most part it is simply the only way they know how to be. I sometimes feel sorry for them, other times I think they may yet get it, and what a wonderful thing it will be for them when they do.

On the Jewish front, yes they are wonderful, their world view is wonderful. The fallibility of man to know god is always present in their faith. Eastern Orthodox Christians also carry this outlook for the most part.

I am saddened with most of the “born again” movement religions. They took out all the soul of their religion, and replaced it with some pretty bizarre crap. However they will move on at some point.

I am more sure that you will enjoy the company of those who hold these odd beliefs sometime in the next 5 or 10 years. They will no be your preferred company, but you will enjoy your time around them.

It is always sad when you know something to be a very powerful ceremony, something that can alter your state and be something profound and beautiful, yet it is reduced to something silly with no meaning or soul.

I always feel like something changes in my energy.

My mom prays for me daily, but it doesn't bother me. She means well. However, I'm not a Satanist. Really, I'm not sure how I would feel if I had someone whom I didn't know well or who I didn't really like say the would pray for me. But I don't think that prayer would be easily felt unless the person's energy was particularly noxious. Likely the energy would be diffuse enough that it wouldn't be very noticeable, especially from a family member. I find that the energy of blood relatives is fairly similar to my own, sometimes so much so that I have a hard time telling it apart from mine if I treat them.

I have two friends that are really serious about Christianity praying and stuff.
And the other day they said the pray for me alot. And me being a Satanist, I felt really weird. It was a slight twinge of something but I don't know what the feeling was. It was very weird. I feel emotions physically too. And my arms had a tingling sensation. It was really weird. Maybe them praying for me is giving me energy by sucking their energy...
I have no idea LOL!

Oh well.

Just strange.

~ Neris-

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif)
omg when i read this i couldnt help but laugh at the irony, but seeing as how i am familiar with christian beliefs(as i am sure everyone is whether forced to learn or not ) i kinda see the whole i will pray for u thing to be a form of "be safe" thing because i am the only non christian in my family ( so i understand how u feel to a point though i am not satanic,) as for the emotions i completely understand, because i have had similar situations wen ppl were discussing church etc, to each other and jus hearing them speaking so ignorantly (most of wat they were tallking about wouldnt even be considered "chirstian" etc...) anyways i jus felt rage and stomache like i had to throw up. lol
anyways i wouldnt take it too personal its more like a mannerism to them,

like saying bless you when u sneeze, excuse me when u walk past some one etc.

This post has been edited by XIXxApolloxXIX: Sep 30 2009, 07:00 PM

I used to get pretty offended by it. You really do have every right to be. I mean, if you walked up to a christian and said you were praying for their soul they'd either be a) confused or b) offended.

My aunt is a catholic nun and her favourite past time is writing me to tell me how she is saying special prayers for me, and sending me little chaplets of saints and prayers and stuff "for the convertee". (You know they went "Lord save me from my heathen ways yada yada blah") One day I finally got pissed off and sent her a whole collection about my Gods and Goddesses, and a little "beginners ritual" in case she wanted to meet them ... she didn't like that very much.

And when others said that to my face, I would usually look them in the eye and go, "hey thanks, I'll pray for you too."

They never knew what to say to that.

This post has been edited by Kriemhilde: Oct 18 2009, 01:17 AM

probably just an emotional response coz they are actually messing with you saying your religion is wrong and that their God is the only god and you are the damned and shall go to hell.
they want to express their pitty and it makes them feel good. for caring for everyone even enemies of their God.

Pay no attention just go about your business. and If the bother you tell them to piss of. just coz they are weak doesn't mean you have to be.
kick thier asses back to church than you will get the respect and be left alone and be feared like a true satanist.

I don't like it myself.
It's condescending, presumptuous, and pretentious.

if i were ill or injured or something, I would take it differently, as a sincere well-wishing. But in the absence of some calamity, it's hard not to view such a statement as something like veiled contempt.
It really all depends on whether they're praying for your well being, or praying that your stupid unsaved soul can be saved. That sets the tone.

I don't particularly react to it, I just "smile & nod". It's sort of my default reaction when people aren't making much sense but I don't really want to discuss it with them.

Every once in a while though, I take the opportunity to 'evangelize' my christian brothers & sisters with the message of Critical Thinking Skills. I've managed to pull about half a dozen confused souls out of the mire that way.

Prayer can be good in a way...however, there is this little thing called Prayer Socery....where the person praying for you can be praying things bad for you...But to them it is for your own good...its often destructive and causes a lot of harm....ever hear of the term the road to hell is paved with good intentions? Sorry, not all prayer is bad...But there are people that can cause trouble through its use.

One could always respond:

I will do invocations and spells concerning you as well...

Then, maybe they would be the one feeling funny...

Just a thought

One could always respond:

I will do invocations and spells concerning you as well...

Then, maybe they would be the one feeling funny...

Just a thought

Ha im going to try this people tel me they pray for me al the time kinda pisses me off so im goig to tell them ill do spells or something for them see what they say to that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sport_boxing.gif) .

A year and a half later, I mean to say that yes, it does disturb me.

Mostly because unless I explicitly ask for a prayer on my behalf from a friend, people who go out to say "I will pray for you" more often than not, in my experience, have had ulterior spiritual motives (IE conversion, proselytism). My mother is an especially large-scale offender of this deed.

I find it to be on par with "Spiritual Harassment."

Consider, for instance, "Sexual Harassment." Unwarranted sexual advances, especially when ill-fitting of the context and setting of the situation. Unless your social partner is smiling as you flirt with him or her, there's no excuse for zipping down your fly and saying, "Yaranaika?" "Fancy having a go at it?"

Similarly, if person A is not confiding or commiserating to/with person B, person B's spiritual endeavors on person A's behalf are just as unwarranted. Excuse me? Did you just pray for me? I feel violated! I don't even KNOW you!!

Sexual Harassment is unwarranted touch of the body. Spiritual Harassment is unwarranted touch of the soul.

Do a ritual to appeal grievance and restitution for the offense, if you were offended. The physical equivalent is called "Lawsuit."

I grew up with a fairly unreligious family. (My father believes in the paranormal. Mum keeps her beliefs to herself but I've found pictures she has of fairies and dragons and things!) I never had to go to church and I never was told to pray. We didn't even sit at a table.

I remember when I was about 5 there was a car crash outside of my house. There were police cars and ambulances called. Naturally my whole street grabbed deck chairs and 'brewskis' to watch the wreck. I was not there. I was in my room praying. At 5 years old. I don't know what I said but my mother told me that when she walked in and asked what was wrong I had tears streaming down my face and said "I'm asking to make sure that those people don't die. No one else is helping them."

I didn't think I was better off than the people in the car or even the bogans having a gawk in the fold out chairs. I just wanted to make sure someone was listening and that the people were safe.

I think it does depend on who the person is and what the intentions are. For example: if a doorknocker came to the door and I told them to gtfo and they replied "OH, YOU HAVE NO HOPE. I WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND HOPE YOU DO NOT BURN, SINNER" then that is disrespectful and appalling.

If it was a friend and I was sad or sick then saying "I'll pray for you" is exactly like what Appollo said, it's like "Be safe" or "I care" and it's a form of love. As a person that works with energy this kind of caring energy is amazing.

Now days I am a little religious, however I still respect other peoples beliefs and I'm not going to try and "convert" anyone EVER or "debate" with anyone (unless they attack my beliefs personally, even then I usually ignore it.) I don't pray however. If I feel unsafe and I'm walking home at night I'll often speak outloud to nature or to my God but unless someone asks me to pray for them or pray with them I leave other peoples views alone. It's the organised religious sheeple that follow blindly, don't ask questions and have the meaning of their religion and religious rituals lost on them which is sad.

Usually, I satirically pray for them, and if i'm really, really lucky, I'll get on my knees and just try to get to Psalms and read out loud and perform an exorcism if I can. You never know, Gatorade could be a fantastic impromptu holy water if necessary and its warm outside.

I know the general Christian view of stuff like this is that all things come from the bible, but is particularly interesting in regards to this is to just show the not-so-brightline between their satan in stuff like this and the the very influence in their church.

This whole topic made me giggle. *grins*

From a practical magical standpoint, prayer works under the exact same mechanisms as spell casting. So how I feel about it ranges widely on who exactly is praying for me, and specifically why they are praying for me. Having grown up in a christian environment, I can sure enough back up Vagrants claim that most people who say they will pray don't really pray, they just recite a few old poems and call it prayer.. Worst of all, most of those who actually DO pray for you, do it wrong. Ie, in a negative way, with malicious intent for this or that reason...and, anyone here should know what happens when you put a certain intent behind a spell. ~_^

But still yet, there ARE those few "true" christians who pray out of genuine, sincere love and blessing; who dont pray for you because they look down on you, but rather to bless you so that God (in "the nameless source of existence" context of God) may take care of you and guide you to a greater, more spiritual future. When such people pray for me, they're sincerity and love uplift me and strengthen me in my own spiritual venture, even though they are no longer specifically christian ventures.

So all in all, I think it really depends on who is praying, as well as why. A magician can summon a breeze to cool a group of hard workers just as easily as he can curse them and be amused by their troubles with a simple exercise of Will. Prayer isnt all that different, in the end, being merely another form of expressing Will--both the love filled and malicious kind. ~_^



~:Shin:~

This post has been edited by Shinichi: Jun 19 2010, 09:13 PM

I have two friends that are really serious about Christianity praying and stuff.
And the other day they said the pray for me alot. And me being a Satanist, I felt really weird. It was a slight twinge of something but I don't know what the feeling was. It was very weird. I feel emotions physically too. And my arms had a tingling sensation. It was really weird. Maybe them praying for me is giving me energy by sucking their energy...
I have no idea LOL!

I'm not personally a Satanist, but I get that way when we watch videos in school about Christianity, or religious discrimination and stuff. My friend gets the same way and she's Jewish.

I have two friends that are really serious about Christianity praying and stuff.
And the other day they said the pray for me alot. And me being a Satanist, I felt really weird. It was a slight twinge of something but I don't know what the feeling was. It was very weird. I feel emotions physically too. And my arms had a tingling sensation. It was really weird. Maybe them praying for me is giving me energy by sucking their energy...
I have no idea LOL!

Oh well.

Just strange.

~ Neris-

your father must help you a little bit don't give up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I find it contextual, often it is just a friend offering comfort or "well wishes", their heart is in the right place.

If they were praying for me to "find my way to god" or their religion, I would politely ask them to respect my choices as I respect theirs and that they are of course free to pray for me, but I request that they keep in mind that I am happy on my path.