11.08.2004

Your “Prayers” Most Assuredly Not Welcome

After having been the recipient of another condescending “I’ll pray for you” message recently, I thought I’d write on the topic of how that sentiment — at least in the context presented — is the absolute height of religious bigotry.

And then I realized I already had written on it — last March.

Strangely enough, that original entry is bizarrely appropriate, given that the remainder of its content concerns itself with the very same stream of rampant homophobia that brought so may backwards-ass redneck freaks out to the polls last week.

So for today, go back and give it a read. For most of my regulars, it won&rsquo't be anything particularly enlightening, but for those of you crossing over from the right-wing hate sites (and I can see you’re out there), a word of advice:

When you stick that little insult in there, don’t for a second believe that we don’t take it for exactly what it is. And what, by extension, you are.

2 Comments:

At 2:58 PM, A.McSholty said...

I am so tired of hearing that. "I'll pray for you." Did I ASK you to? NO! These people are so insanely full of themselves they've learned to use that phrase as a subtle insult.

I read one of your rebuttals to one of Tom Bridge's posts and surfed over from there. I like the way you think.

 
At 4:43 PM, Bill Coughlan said...

I enjoy checking out Tom's site -- we disagree on a lot, but can each proceed with rational arguments. And usually, we have more common ground than disagreement.

I'm certainly prone to hyperbole here, but I say what I say. It's extremely valuable to have someone call you on whatever comments you may make when you get close to (or cross) a perceived line of supportability. At the very least, it forces you to clarify your thoughts. And sometimes you realize you really are off base.

I've even been known to change my mind from time to time.

I've had friends offer to pray for me in an honest gesture of support, and I certainly have no problem with that. But there's nothing subtle about the "save your soul" variety; it's meant solely as an insult and an explicit expression of arrogant superiority. Superiority without any objective evidence or measure. But every time, there's this pretense that they're insulting you without you being able to *tell* they're insulting you. And I'm sorry, but they're not fooling anyone.

 

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

Create a Link

<< Home