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Permalink Reply by Jason Ward on May 17, 2011 at 10:41am

oops have lacked I meant

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Permalink Reply by Betty J. Brogaard on May 15, 2011 at 8:40am

I just sit quietly and observe the ones around the table who profess to be believers but don't bow their heads or close their eyes (I wonder why they don't? There are usually, but not always, 1 or 2) until the ritual winds down to "Amen." The real rub for me comes when everyone is supposed to join hands while they pray. I usually do this but still don't bow my head or close my eyes.  B. Brogaard

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Permalink Reply by wyocowboy on May 15, 2011 at 9:58am

Currently I am in this type of situation because I have moved back home to take care of sick parents.  I don't know but I find it easy when I take my ma to church to just sit there and stare of into space with my eyes open but at home at he dinner table I sit there sometimes with my eyes closed because it was engrained in us when I was growing up and other times I will put my hands over my eyes and some times have my eyes open.  Robert with what you said above "omg this is such bs" is what i say to myself.  Though I do respect my parents because they do not ask me to pray and if I was asked by them I don't know what I would do but if asked by someone else I would say "no, because I don't pray" .  This is a tough question.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Muller on May 15, 2011 at 10:08am

In situations like that, I do tend to go with the flow, but with the internal understanding that I am bowing out of respect for the real people around me.

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Permalink Reply by Femia Cools on May 15, 2011 at 10:30am

At their table, I just sit and stare and wait. What bothers me is that they want me to be just as respectful to them when they are sitting at my table in my own atheist home. I am still waiting for the moment that they will respect my way and refrain from praying at my table.

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Permalink Reply by Linda Vanier on May 15, 2011 at 6:59pm

Good point.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Edwards on May 15, 2011 at 10:51am

I sit quietly, so as not to be rude, and use the time to study the logistics of getting the best food on the table.

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Permalink Reply by Firey Vixen on May 15, 2011 at 11:05am

I laughed when I read this.  I did that when I was praying with the family as a kid.  I still do it.

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Permalink Reply by Allan Yeats on May 15, 2011 at 11:03am

I am inspired by the stories below.  Why should should I respect obvious BS?

 

Watch out the next time I do the family dinner and get asked to 'bow my head'

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Permalink Reply by Bill on May 15, 2011 at 12:37pm

I look around at everyone. Why not, what's the harm ? Are they going to tell someone you were looking at them if they were supposed to have their eyes closed? If I get caught I smile. This way I'm not a hypocrite and I don't feel awkward for 'nothing'. After all. It's food. Not a dead body were hiding our tears over. I can't think of another creature on earth that says thanks for the food it consumes. I thank whoever put the food from the store shelf or field onto the table if I'm a guest. If I just spent seven bucks for a Rueben I curse the price then eat the food.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary LYNDALL WEMM on May 15, 2011 at 12:50pm

I bow my head and keep my eyes open.  It is generally not worth the social hassle to be blatant in my non-compliance.  

 

Depending on the social context (whether I have some control or authority, I am a guest, it is a public and formal occasion, etc.)  I might ask that I add a non-sectarian vote of thanks for all the humans who acted to make the situation possible.

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Permalink Reply by Wynprks on May 15, 2011 at 12:53pm

"two, four, six, eight, yea god, let's F'n eat"
"Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub, yey god"
"father son holy ghost fastest eater gets the most"
"Lord, my soul is ripped with riot, Incited by my wicked diet"
"I just don't see bowing my head as being a very big thing to ask of me"
"It's not a big deal to me to relax bow my head and sit respectfully with my family as they pray"
"I usually keep my head up but lower my eyes in case anyone looks up"
"I bow my head"

I see two mentions of god, a father son holy ghost, three bowing heads and a lowering of the eyes, all on the first page, you're still paying homage to a deity.

Personally, I get up and leave the room, if someone's playing patty cake I'm not going to sit there and watch, it doesn't interest me, it doesn't concern me, I've grown out of it and you can't force me to participate in it, and if it's about "respect", why can't they respect me and pray silently to themselves, besides, isn't there something in the bible about going into a closet and praying in silence? That you're not supposed to pray out loud in the first place?

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