"I'll pray for you."

[Xiporah]

This hasn't happened to me.

I live in the greater Washington DC area, and I just...I don't know. I don't ever run into this.

It's a rare occasion when I talk to strangers who want to discuss religion. I have one friend that is Christian and I don't really see him often and he knows that talking to me about religion is like talking to a brick wall.

There's a international grocery store near my friend's house and there are people who stand outside and say 'god bless' as you leave, but I get the feeling they mean it just as much as I mean it when I mutter 'have a good day' to the cashier at 7-11.

 

[Captain_Shinzo]

This has happened to me. I always tell them to call me when the guy picks up the prayer-phone.  

[Zambimaru]

Every time I've told a Mormon Missionary that I'm an atheist they tell me I'll be in they're prayers. I just tell them "don't waist your time".  

[hikikomorihime]

It's all in the delivery. If they are saying it out of viciousness because they are angry that I'm an atheist, I offer to "think" for them. If I'm sick, and they say it because they can do nothing else for me, and it's the most they can offer up: I think it's sweet they were concerned, and while I wish they could help pay my medical bills or get my meds, I'll settle for some compassion.  

[Celestial Fireflies]

If they said it in response to finding out about my atheism, I'd probably just go, "... Ohh-kaay." I'm not a particularly confrontational person or anything. Online, I've had it happen once or twice, but I usually don't give them the time of day. I don't know, I just don't feel like it's worth my time to get into an argument with them about it.

Miz Sharpe

Honestly, it's a well-meaning statement; when you tell a Christian that you're an atheist, a lot of them honestly believe and fear that you're hellbound. Dx There's no way, sans deconversion, to dispel that fear. I've seen this from the other side of the fence.

That's why I don't enjoy telling off people who say those things to me, despite feeling like they're being condescending. To us, it seems silly, because we believe they are talking to no one. Many of us also don't believe in an afterlife, so many believe that there is no consequence to being an atheist. To them, God is very real, as is hell. Like you said, I'm sure many are genuinely afraid we're going to hell.

Of course, there are those people who couldn't care less about what they believe is your fate after death, and do say it for the pure smug factor. They say it to rub it in your face, in an I-know-better-than-you-do manner. I wouldn't mind knocking them off their high horse, but as I said before, I generally find it a waste of time.  

[LimeIzMyFaveColor]

I don't remember anyone saying it to me ... but I did mention to a friend (who is a very devout Christian) and I told her that I had a little bit of a deist mindset and she ask me what a deist was and so i explained it to her and she was like "I'll pray for them too."

[And I'm thinking like ... WTF? ... they don't want your prayers!!]
[I -sighed- but they didn't see because this was VIA IM]

So in a way, maybe she prays for me too ... which if she does ... yeah she is wasting her time.  

[Lotus_Lakshmi]

It would bother me if I thought that it had any validity in a rational world. If it makes them feel better about themselves than by all means go ahead.  

[Boston Sports Fan]

Don't want to come across as a d-bag or something but I honestly don't care if they do or not. They can waste there time or whatever they do when they pray.  

[MemoriesThatKill]

Honestly, this statement really offends me. And that is very difficult to do. It's because they like to tell you that they are saying it because they care about you or some nonsense like that. But that fact is, that is not what it is. It is flat out egotism. They are in effect saying "I am right and you are wrong. I hope one day you will see that I am right." And how would a person react if you told them that about anything? It's ridiculous.

I know I shouldn't let things like that get to me at all, but just that one statement makes my blood boil. As much as I will be respectful to them(even if they say it) I can't help how I feel about it.