Not long after SCOTUS decided that marriage was an equal opportunity right for all, I saw a church sign. It got me to thinking and this post is the result. I meant to get a picture of it, but it was changed out by the time I got back with a camera. But the message was simple and I’m sure you have seen it before.
“Pray For Our Nation”
Seems innocuos enough at first glance, but when you examine this statement a little more closely you understand its true meaning, and it is twofold. First “pray for our nation” automatically excludes a great many countries of this world. A great many people of all color and belief. I find that obtusive, shallow and insulting to everyone that inhabits this planet.
Secondly with its timing this simple statement implies that our nation is somehow less than it used to be, because it no longer excludes the LGBT community from marriage. All I can say to that is “fuck you, and the donkey you rode in on.” I might add a schadenfreudial ha! ha! ha! to that as well.
Another one most of us have encountered is the “I’ll pray for you.” We all know what that really means! lol. For anyone that might be scratching their heads right now wondering my meaning, “I’ll pray for you” is a lowball sideswipe insult. Its true meaning is more along the lines of “screw you, you nasty heathen.” Oh the mighty goodness just oozes through doesn’t it?
Choose Life! Sounds like it is some obvious logical conclusion, right? Wrong. “Choose life” really means, “We think abortion is icky, and unbiblical, therefore we have decided that you have no rights over your own body, and we have made that decision for you.” And they (fundies, republicans, republican fundies) have gone to great lengths across the country pushing legislation that agrees with these sentiments. Nevermind that a great deal of women who get abortions are x-ians. Nevermind that unwanted babies born into this world are a taxpayer burden to feed, clothe, and raise to adulthood. Nevermind that many often go unloved and are caught in the state welfare system merry-go-round, in and out of adoptive homes and back to the group home. No, to have the Orwellian audacity to decide what is or is not right for a womans own body just takes the cake. “Choose life” comes from those who think they know better than we do about our own best interests. Those are the kind of people that bear watching.
I’m going to repeat a saying I made up all by myself, and am fond of using. “There ain’t nuttin that scares me more than a bunch of good (insert religion here.)”
So next time you are out there in the world, or cruising the internet, and you see a sign or a saying that seems innocent at first glance, don’t merely take it at face value. There might be more to it than you think.
Evidence Based Reality 
Well written and spot on. Reminds me of god bless America and forget other nations
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Yes, I despise that damn song. I like to watch baseball and they have to play that song for every game. When they do the sheeple all stand and act all humble and happy, just like they have been conditioned to do at church when the rev says “let us pray.” Apparently no one stops for a minute and thinks about how selfish and self serving those lyrics are.
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That would be taxing themselves too much to think they are selfish.
I wonder when both teams pray and one loses, is it the god that has lost or how do they explain the loss?
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I fear they don’t think things through or expect an explanation. Their conditioning kicks in and it was the dogs will. Or something like that. It’s been a long time since I was one to pray 🙂
Another thing that gets me, I like to watch the UFC, and sometimes when a fighter wins the first thing they bring up in the after fight interview is their god. That really pisses me off. Then again when a guy gets a hit or a homer in baseball they do the obligatory pointing to the sky, or when some dingbat gets a touchdown they do some sort of god reference. Why in the hell can’t any of these people give just a little credit to themselves? I mean not to the point of being overly prideful, just say something like ” it was a really well designed play, and the team executed it perfectly, and we got th TD.” Or “I have spent a lot of time at batting practice lately and the training has paid off tonight.” Or “my opponent went to the same tactic one too many times and I was able to counter with a clean shot that put him out.” Is that too much to ask for?
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that requires some thinking.
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To say “God made me win,” also means, “God made the other guy lose.” Really, does a god really give a fuck about who wins a UFC match? If god cared about football, he’d have deflated Tom Brady’s footballs naturally, then re-inflated them when the authorities checked them so Brady could simply go on cheating like he, and the Patriots, have been doing for years. Perhaps the Patriots new motto should be, “God Helps Those Who Cheat Best.”
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Excellent observation, and fits the intent of this post perfectly. 🙂
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Great post because…..well….because GOD!!!! and because….well….because….AMERICA!!!! The most offensive thing one can say to me is, “I’ll pray for you.” My response, recently, to such a thing has been to reply, “I’ll jack off thinking of you doing it. Thanks.” If ya wanna help me, gimme $. That I need. Prayers I don’t. Great post.
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Heh, I’ll bet that draws up their panties.
I said once, “or you could do something that actually helps.” All I got was a blank look.
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There’s such an irony in the phrase “Choose Life”, when Christians are instructed to “Die Daily”. In essence, the phrase means “choose life” so that we can indoctrinate the offspring to loathe themselves and terrorize them with the promise of eternal hell if they don’t submit to, and obey the Christian god.
“I’ll pray for you” is a lowball sideswipe insult.”
It really is. Bruce (GodsManForever) is notorious for saying that during discourse.
“Pray for our Nation” means — “Pray for a theocracy”
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Indeed. Thing is many of them have no freaking idea what it is they are actually saying or supporting with the statement. Well in the case of “I’ll pray for you” I think they do. 🙂
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“It really is. Bruce (GodsManForever) is notorious for saying that during discourse.” Every time I have a bowel movement I think of Bruce. I shit for him. That’s my answer to his intrusive, “I’ll pray for you” bullshit. He, and christians like him, are a pestilence. They spread contagion like a bus full of rotting corpses. Have a joyous day. $Amen$ 😀
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*I will shit for you* is a classic and I am going to use it without shame
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$Amen$
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You have a joyous day, too, my friend. 😀
Pssst, I quoted you in my recent post.
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I saw that on my iphone a while ago. Just got back to the computer, will get over there and comment soon. Thanks for the reference 🙂
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God bless you.
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I do think that believers can genuinely think that they are helping a non-believer by praying and that they can do so without any negativity, but this is a rarity. I think it happens on an individual level, when the believer actually knows the person and is truly worried for what may happen if their deity is as vengeful as they tend to be portrayed.
However, a believer saying that they will pray for someone they don’t really know or encouraging it to the religious community at large is just sanctimonious. If you truly believe that I am going to suffer for my disbelief and you love me enough to want to save me from that, by all means, pray away and thanks for caring. But if you just think your belief makes you better than me, you can shove it.
This all makes me think of Mormons baptizing people that have died. They basically go through the phone book and baptize people. Or religions like the JWs and Catholics who will continue to count you as a member unless you specifically tell them not to in writing. There are those that think they are doing what’s best, even though it is completely patronizing; and there are those that do it because it pads their numbers.
When all else is lost to a believer in a conversation about beliefs, they threaten you with Hell in the nicest way possible. As you say, things are not always as they seem.
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Yes, of course it depends on the particulars. There are many who actually believe that praying for someone is a helpful enterprise of some sort. I don’t buy into that, but some do.
More often than not though “I’ll pray for you” is used as a petty insult.
A lot of that post death baptising or requiring in writing to be officially released from a church, is probably a last ditch effort to shoal up the congregation numbers.
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I agree completely.
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…and thanks for dropping in.
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Interesting post. The timing of that “Pray for our nation” sign does seem a bit suspicious. I’ve often wondered if those in other countries feel the need to invoke the almighty every third sentence. Do politicians in Brussels close every speech with “God bless Belgium”? I have a feeling if they did, ordinary Belgians would laugh at them, not cheer them. I could be wrong, though.
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First, welcome 🙂
Yes the timing is more than suspicious, it is damning IMO.
I’ve no idea of the general attitudes in Belgium towards religion. But I have a hunch the uber religious are similar across the globe. I don’t think they understand what they are doing when they exhibit such tribal messages. It seems to be some selfish in group secret handshake thing. But no matter how you look at it, “May “our” god, bless “our” nation.” Pretty much says fuck everyone else…
I can only hope the Belgians are laughers at such idiocy.
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Thanks for the welcome! You’re right about the tribal message. Here’s hoping the Belgians have more sense.
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