My failures and successes

[musicality]

All these responses are great. It sucks that all these prayers for help and gratefulness to god is ALL OVER my Facebook. Sometimes, I have a hard time trying to say something...I don't want to say "I'll pray for you..." I don't know. I try to find the most cliché thing to say whenever someone is going through a hard time. (I guess the nicest/neutral thing I usually say is "I'm sending some positive thoughts your way. I'm here if you need anyone to talk to.") What do you guys usually say??

[Sweetdeath]

Nothing, because i dont have religious friends,nor do i add them to my facebook.

Usually a "hug" or "you know my number" is enough.

[Tank]

BTW, folkseses, sorry I haven't been around.

One never has to apologise for coming back

[kitty]

All these responses are great. It sucks that all these prayers for help and gratefulness to god is ALL OVER my Facebook. Sometimes, I have a hard time trying to say something...I don't want to say "I'll pray for you..." I don't know. I try to find the most cliché thing to say whenever someone is going through a hard time. (I guess the nicest/neutral thing I usually say is "I'm sending some positive thoughts your way. I'm here if you need anyone to talk to.") What do you guys usually say??

i try to avoid that whole spiritulistic 'positive thought' malarky, and just go with 'i'm thinking of you' or 'can i call for a chat, so you can have a good moan?'

I'd like to know where these people's heads are. They also always make sure to cover their bases, so they can't 'lose' no matter what. If they pray and don't get what they prayed for, then they think either they didn't pray hard enough, or it wasn't God's will to give it to them. If they pray and do get what they prayed for, then of course it was God's will, and God loves them sooooo much that he granted them this special favour. Of course, they'll tack on how unworthy they were to receive such a 'blessing', just to assure everyone of their ongoing humility. 

well put.

Thanking god for all the good things in your life is, in my opinion, one of the most self-centered things you can do. Right, you're so important that he let you get that job, but that guy dying of cancer can go fuck himself. Really? If there is a god after all, he's a huge douchebag. We should sue him

i dont nessessarily agree with the idea that being grateful is self centered. in my head, praying thank you prayers for all the good stuff in life is fine, i mean, i used to do it every day, i've got a lot to be grateful for and i'm fully aware that not everyone has the health i enjoy, 2 kids who are never sick, etc etc.
its the people who ask for stuff constantly, who are never quite grateful enough and spend their prayer time asking for stupid stuff, stuff that doesnt matter.
my mother is like this. she prays for holidays and games consoles and when she gets a wee bonus in her paycheck..oh look, god has provided!
bloody hell.
this is the point where we all say;

Do people really think that if God exists, they can change his mind if only they pray hard enough? Do they think that God can do something for someone, but will refuse to until someone begs him to do it? And do they really think that if there are starving, deathly sick people in the world whose entire life has been misery, God is going to help them take care of a (relatively) normal problem like passing a test or winning a game?
When you can explain to me why it is that God let you win a football game, but apparently ignored the child dying of AIDS in Africa, come talk to me.

please excuse my bitter rant, but she even 'received' a holiday to frickin cuba...nothing to do with that massive credit card bill then...? can we all say, delusional much?

[DeterminedJuliet]

All these responses are great. It sucks that all these prayers for help and gratefulness to god is ALL OVER my Facebook. Sometimes, I have a hard time trying to say something...I don't want to say "I'll pray for you..." I don't know. I try to find the most cliché thing to say whenever someone is going through a hard time. (I guess the nicest/neutral thing I usually say is "I'm sending some positive thoughts your way. I'm here if you need anyone to talk to.") What do you guys usually say??

I usually just say "please let me know if there's anything I can do for you." It's short and sweet and not too personal.

[Firebird]

All these responses are great. It sucks that all these prayers for help and gratefulness to god is ALL OVER my Facebook. Sometimes, I have a hard time trying to say something...I don't want to say "I'll pray for you..." I don't know. I try to find the most cliché thing to say whenever someone is going through a hard time. (I guess the nicest/neutral thing I usually say is "I'm sending some positive thoughts your way. I'm here if you need anyone to talk to.") What do you guys usually say??

Something along the lines of "You are in our thoughts. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help".

I wasn't sure whether to say the first sentence, since the default line is "thoughts and prayers". Is that too obvious an announcement of my atheism? Because that's the last thing I would want to do during a difficult time for someone else.

[Ali]

All these responses are great. It sucks that all these prayers for help and gratefulness to god is ALL OVER my Facebook. Sometimes, I have a hard time trying to say something...I don't want to say "I'll pray for you..." I don't know. I try to find the most cliché thing to say whenever someone is going through a hard time. (I guess the nicest/neutral thing I usually say is "I'm sending some positive thoughts your way. I'm here if you need anyone to talk to.") What do you guys usually say??

Something along the lines of "You are in our thoughts. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help".

I wasn't sure whether to say the first sentence, since the default line is "thoughts and prayers". Is that too obvious an announcement of my atheism? Because that's the last thing I would want to do during a difficult time for someone else.

I don't think it's that obvious.  In my experience most Christians assume that everyone is a Christian unless you really whack them between the eyes with it.  Or are Hitler.  They don't like to claim Hitler as one of their own. 

[rickrocks]

I'm sorry, I guess I'm feeling particularly grouchy, cynical and jaded today. It's not my intent to pick on Christians.

Oh, but they're so easy to pick on!

[rickrocks]

rickrocks, I missed your accusatory avatar!  

I must say you're lookin' mighty sexy in bronze, Juliet.

[Icarus]

The people who might pray for me are doing so for the kindest reasons. Never mind that they are being foolish when they do so. The 'pray for you' thing annoys me but I do regard it as a well meaning gesture. I am also annoyed when a convenience store clerk tells me to "have a blessed day".  Nonetheless I usually say thank you, but sometimes mumble under my breath, something curmudgeonly like; "you poor misguided person, how could you have become so deranged?".

I join the rest of you in admiration of Musicalities determination and hard work. You go girl.

[hismikeness]

The people who might pray for me are doing so for the kindest reasons. Never mind that they are being foolish when they do so. The 'pray for you' thing annoys me but I do regard it as a well meaning gesture.

Yep, me too. I take it as a nice gesture that they are thinking of me in my time of need.

[Hector Valdez]

When people post things on Facebook, I vary in my response. When the responses are particularly humble, I'll respond, "Get the fuck off my internet." Often though, I'll just say something like, "Hey, since your so good on charity, can I have all your money? I need it for...medicinal purposes."(No lie, I actually called into catholic answers one time said that.)

In any case, people are often pretty religious, but I don't mind when they tell me that god gave me my intelligence. Naturally, I don't mind because I'm more interested in ideas rather than people, and thus it is easier for me ignore it.