Being prayed for

[BuckingFrolics]

I'm an atheist and my DM knows this - indeed she and my DF raised me as one. She "found god" when my DF left in my early teens

She says she prays for me.

AIBU to tell her to stop, as I find it offensive?

For your next meal chose between an invisible apple and a non-corporeal pear. Lets see how long that sates your apatite?

Appetite for what? If you are talking about a spiritual appetite it is not going to be satisfied with a bowl of vegetable soup.

Please don’t feel offended by prayer. She clearly loves you.

Love does not have to be conditional well no, it can be unconditional, like the love I have for my daughter, which I clearly didn't choose to feel.

Even with conditional love, I might stop being in love with my husband. I might divorce him because of that. I didn't choose to stop loving him, but I did choose to divorce him.

It never is identical. There are always exceptions

Another statement without any attempt at evidence. Nine countries can send rockets into orbit using the same identical laws of nature. Countries dont use different science, its all the same. The proof of science is that it works.

If only religions concluded in the same god then it would actually have some credibility.

well no, it can be unconditional, like the love I have for my daughter, which I clearly didn't choose to feel.

But I feel I can choose to love unconditionally. A stranger could be horrible to me and annoy me and if I focused on that I might not but I just have to choose to focus on them as a human being, as someone's child and I can feel love for them. I might feel desperately sad over how they behave but I still can love them.

I believe you can. Love does not have to be conditional

Love is a feeling, not a belief you can choose. So much mental gymnastics.

The debate never changes much from, "Look there is a tree, therefore a christian god".

The proof of science is that it works.

Except when it doesn't.

but I just have to choose to focus on them as a human being, as someone's child and I can feel love for

I think we might more or less agree, I just don't agree that choosing to think of someone as someone's child is the same as choosing to love them. It is the thoughts of them as someone's child that you chose to focus on, and those thoughts caused the feeling of unconditional love. As I say, I just don't think you choose feelings and belief in anything without facts to me is like a feeling.

The proof of science is that it works.

Except when it doesn't.

No because I am happy with my choice. I don't wish to go back on it

Yea I get that, at least you are honest that whether or not it is true is irrelevant.

It is the thoughts of them as someone's child that you chose to focus on, and those thoughts caused the feeling of unconditional love

But I think and focus on these thoughts purposely with the express intention of evoking the feeling of love. I doubt I could fool myself into evoking that feeling if I couldn't choose to love because I would know what I was attempting to do.

What is there to be offended by someone prying for you? It's the same as them wishing you well.

What exactly is the offence? I'm struggling to see what there is to be offended about.

at least you are honest that whether or not it is true is irrelevant.

When belief is strong proving it is inconsequential.

The proof of science is that it works
Except when it doesn't

Bird, joining the flat earth society isn't going to give your opinion any greater credibility.
Aeroplanes don't drop out of the sky because the science is different in different countries. It takes religion to do that.

As a theist, I just acknowledge 'physical evidence' is not always relevant or applicable to answering the type of question being asked.

Is there different types of evidence? I am only aware of evidence.

Bird, joining the flat earth society isn't going to give your opinion any greater credibility.

I've not, though. I don't believe the earth is flat. My credibility (to you) is dependent on your own biases not purely what I say or any people I align myself with.

Is there different types of evidence?

Physical evidence. Experiential evidence. Anecdotal evidence. Statistical evidence. Quantitative evidence. Qualitative evidence. All different types of evidence.

When belief is strong proving it is inconsequential
And that sums up the difference between science & religion and between you & me. I would want to know if I held a belief that was untrue, and I would stop believing it in a second. Just as scientists do and are constantly trying to prove their theories wrong.

Blind faith is what I find so dangerous about religion and why it is upsetting to know of someone praying about me.

And that sums up the difference between science & religion

It's a false dichotomy. Religion and science are different not necessarily opposing. They are not comparable. Science is a disciplined method of study, religion involves worship and belief.

If anyone strongly believes something (based in science or not) is true they just will not be as motivated to prove it as someone who is unsure. When something is true it speaks for itself. The truth usually comes out eventually. If someone possesses strong oppositional beliefs there is no point in attempting to prove something which conflicts with their beliefs because proof is rarely 100% and if their oppositional belief is strong they will use any fraction of doubt to dismiss what you say.

I don't dismiss science. We can learn from it.

Blind faith

Faith is not blind when you know you are exercising it. It is only blind when you don't.

As a theist, I just acknowledge 'physical evidence' is not always relevant or applicable to answering the type of question being asked

When belief is strong proving it is inconsequential

And with a bound the theists are free...

And with a bound the theists are free...

Indeed.

Birdflyinghigh

I didn't choose not to believe in a god

So you can extrapolate from your own experience what is true for everyone (fact)?

I never said anything about it being true for everyone. Please stop making things up. I no more "chose" not to believe in a god than I "chose" to find fried liver and onions disgusting.

For your next meal chose between an invisible apple and a non-corporeal pear. Lets see how long that sates your apatite?

This analogy does not apply since an appetite for the knowledge of God cannot be fully satiated until a person is at one with Him

You have no understanding do you that for many, many people there is no "appetite for knowledge of [a] god".

I can understand you have some sort of a need to believe in a god which gives you some sort of comfort. Yet you seem to have no concept that "being at one with [a ]god" is for many people completely meaningless.

I didn't "choose" that- it's just a fact.

Science follows the evidence to the edge of the cliff then waits there until more evidence arrives to make a bit more bridge. Faith jumps.