Would atheists pray if . . . .

[achilles12604]

Someone dear to them asked them to?

Your mother believes in God. You do not. She knows you do not and you know that she believes with all her soul

Suddenly she falls deathly ill and asks you to pray for her. What do you do?

Do you


Pray?

Don't pray, but tell her you have?

Tell her right then and there her beliefs are crap and you won't bother praying?

Other?

[Pazuzu bin Hanbi]

Sarcasm? I suppose the first three words of ‘tries to be civil’ count as the important ones in regards to your last post .

[GrumpyMrGruff]

Someone dear to them asked them to?

Your mother believes in God. You do not. She knows you do not and you know that she believes with all her soul

Suddenly she falls deathly ill and asks you to pray for her. What do you do?

Do you

Pray?
Don't pray, but tell her you have?
Tell her right then and there her beliefs are crap and you won't bother praying?
Other?

My mother (who is a semi-faithful Catholic) knows my position on religion and I find it unlikely that she would ask me to pray for her.

If she did ask, I would most likely refuse. I would not "tell her right then and there her beliefs are crap" - that's just rude - but I would politely decline. Anyway, she knows me well enough to know that my prayers wouldn't be genuine. I see no reason to lie to her.

[realthinker]

Someone dear to them asked them to?

Your mother believes in God. You do not. She knows you do not and you know that she believes with all her soul

Suddenly she falls deathly ill and asks you to pray for her. What do you do?

Do you


Pray?

Don't pray, but tell her you have?

Tell her right then and there her beliefs are crap and you won't bother praying?

Other?

I am the son of very devout Catholic parents and one of seven children, most of whom are religious. My family does not participate in meal prayers or services of any kind, except when it is a special service for my family. We go to baptisms an funerals. We went to a mass for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. We did not participate, but we were there to show our love and admiration and respect for my parents. I honor my family by joining them in what is important to them. There are no hard feelings from either side of the issue, never a cross word. They know that we are good people and that we would do nothing to diminish their beliefs. We believe and know likewise.

I do not believe she would ask that me. She'd rather have my honest, genuine care and concern than a token of personal satisfaction that was not given in earnest.

[FidelCastro]

I've been thinking about this, and I probably wouldn't give an answer if I could help it. It could be taken as being emotionally overwhelmed and not being able to answer, or my praying right then. If they were pushy, which is unlikely in most people, I would refuse. I haven't prayed in about a year. In the last three years, I have prayed for other people when I was afraid they'd die, because part of me still wanted there to be a god when I couldn't do anything. I don't do that now. I don't want there to be a god. (although that's not to say I want there to not be a god)

[Confused]

Sarcasm? I suppose the first three words of ‘tries to be civil’ count as the important ones in regards to your last post .

I am assuming this is directed at my post about your rhetorical comment. It is what it is. If you cannot answer it, then don't. But resorting to a usergroup title to avoid a response is fairly sad.