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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get shirty with the next Christian who offers to pray for me on the street.

94 replies

Spero · 21/04/2015 14:30

This has now happened twice within the past three months. On the first occasion it was a lone man, and just now two young men together.

They both commented that they noted I was 'struggling' to walk and could they pray to Jesus for me? On both occasions I have replied chirpily that I am a life member of the BHA but if Jesus can grow me a new leg, they've got a convert.

So is this a 'thing' now? Is there a Christian sect that encourages this activity? This has only ever happened in the last few months. And would I be unreasonable to tell the next lot to fuck off? Because I think if I wanted someone to pray for me (unlikely) I would ask them, not just hope I would get stopped on the street as I go about my own business....

OP posts:
slug · 21/04/2015 16:37

I'd pat them on the shoulder or arm and say in a patronising manner

"And I'll think for you"

PausingFlatly · 21/04/2015 16:39

"And I'll think for you"

slug, you win the thread. Grin

Thistledew · 21/04/2015 16:41

I agree with PausingFlatly's assessment 100%.

I have used "Go ahead, if you have nothing better to do", as a snappy reply in similar circumstances.

Hakluyt · 21/04/2015 16:41

.

To get shirty with the next Christian who offers to pray for me on the street.
Thistledew · 21/04/2015 16:42

Although x-post with slug. That's even better.

Mrsjayy · 21/04/2015 16:43

Praying for a woman on the street who didnt ask for it isnt really coming from that good a place surely christians these days know the disabled are not poor unfortunates that need to be prayed for

Mrsjayy · 21/04/2015 16:45

And are we not all meant to be perfect in gods eyes anyway so no need for praying for

Mrsjayy · 21/04/2015 16:48

I just lold mum we have mormons

Original poster
Spero · 21/04/2015 17:21

Mrs Jay - another good point! I am as the good lord made me surely? So isn't that BLASPHEMY to suggest I need praying for? Isn't that questioning the Lord's Ineffable Wisdom?

Really revving up for a conversation now. Will start stalking the streets. Maybe get a bit more slutty with my outfit so as to reel them in with double bonus prayer points.

OP posts:
Idontseeanydragons · 21/04/2015 17:30

I know of 2 vicars who LOVE coming across people like this and would gladly take them on for you if they ever saw it GrinGrin

I'm Pagan and tend to have a bit if fun with any Fully fledged GodBods who pass my way, they ask me about Satan, I don't believe in him, they ask me about Jesus I can and have quoted scripture right back at them because I went to church for 20 years.
I have every respect for anyone else's beliefs as long as they respect mine.

Original poster
Spero · 21/04/2015 17:36

That's also another interesting point - they clearly did not respect my (lack of) belief as they didn't even ask if I had a faith, just launched in with the offer of prayer.

The whole thing is just so bone headed and annoying; the assumption that I require a prayer and would welcome a prayer to a god I don't believe in.

Is it only Christians who do this? Never been approached by any other religious group.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spero · 21/04/2015 17:37

O and Hakluyt, I am getting that on a T shirt.

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 21/04/2015 17:41

I have nothing against christians but i just think its rude patronising and egotistical to go up to somebody in the street to say aww poor you i will pray for you. I also have a disability and if i was going about my day and somebody said that id have an urge to lamp them.

Mrsjayy · 21/04/2015 17:44

Ive had a blessing from a Hari krishna (spellng) but they were handing them out to everybody so no singiling out

DarthVadersTailor · 21/04/2015 17:47

To paraphrase from Mr Bill Hicks, you could always insult them highly and then point out that as Christians they have to forgive you....Wink

avocadotoast · 21/04/2015 17:55

Ugh I hate people like this, YANBU at all.

When I was 15 I was sitting with some friends in the city centre one Saturday afternoon. One of the super-Christian preacher types came up and when we wouldn't engage with him told us (quite nastily) that we were all most certainly going to hell. At the time I couldn't think of a response...these days I would tear him to pieces, I'm sure Grin

limitedperiodonly · 21/04/2015 17:59

Is it only Christians who do this? Never been approached by any other religious group.

I don't know. I know that Jews don't proselytise. Not sure about Muslims but I know they welcome converts and it's apparently easy to join.

My own brand is Catholicism - we let people to join our club but forever punish them for not being good enough. Bit like Judaism but a bit easier to get in. And just like them, converts often become much more zealous than the originals.

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 21/04/2015 18:08

I am not surprised you are pissed off. This happened to me once on a bus and I was quite gobsmacked TBH.

Anyway.

In all honesty I think my response to an offer to pray for me would be a stony "I'd rather you didn't" and leave them to it.

limitedperiodonly · 21/04/2015 18:09

I was being a bit flippant.

I'm not a practising Christian but there is a notion that you have to spread the Word.

Some denominations take it more seriously than others.

As long as people weren't being offensive, I wouldn't be offended.

With the exception of GodSquad who I mentioned earlier, no one has ever offended me.

Actually, she didn't either.

I simply told her that as a Catholic I would be going to Heaven, with a period in Purgatory, and the best she could achieve was Limbo.

I thought it kindest not to mention Hell.

She actually had to gall to say: 'Do you really believe that?'

I think I knocked at least 1,000 years off my Purgatory because I let her live.

BlackeyedSusan · 21/04/2015 18:13

It is usually the more charismatic, happy clappy christians that go out to pray for people. The way the ones you have encountered go about it is much more likely to put people off their religion. I would not quite go with fuck off unless the same ones are far too persistent but a terse response about the appropriateness of their approach should not go amiss.

emwithme · 21/04/2015 18:27

Them: "Have you found Jesus"
Me: "I didn't realise he was missing" (also this

To get shirty with the next Christian who offers to pray for me on the street.
Icimoi · 21/04/2015 18:37

I'd be tempted to say that if God were that bothered about me surely he'd have stopped my leg from malfunctioning in the first place.

I switched the radio on on Sunday morning to find they were broadcasting a service and some vicar was going on about praising God and telling him repeatedly how totally wonderful he is. And it made me wonder: really, why is that necessary? Surely if he is that great he doesn't actually need his ego to be constantly bolstered all the time?

Original poster
Spero · 21/04/2015 18:40

Well this is the problem isn't it. God is all knowing, all powerful, all wise and he loves us. He really, really loves us you know.

Therefore, when one of his children are born disabled or suffer a nasty accident that disables them - this must be part of his grand plan surely?

I will never forgot my dad's response to that poor young mother who was chased and stabbed when out with her baby in a pushchair - was she called Abigail? She ended up paralysed and was also pregnant. I think she had the baby. She was able to move her fingers a little and her mother said something like 'God is working miracles here today'. Dad snorted magnificently and said if God was so bloody marvellous he would have stopped that nutter hurting her in the first place.

That kind of encapsulates my whole approach to religion really.

OP posts:
frizzyhairstress · 21/04/2015 18:53

I just lol and snorted at the "you've made it worse" reply

hiddenhome · 21/04/2015 18:57

Research has actually demonstrated that people who are regularly prayed for do worse than those who haven't had these prayers. Print this research out and give it to them Grin

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