Thanksgiving Prayer
Hello again everyone.
I hope everyone has a good holiday tomorrow.
I was invited by a member of my family to eat that their house this year for Thanksgiving. Which is nice because I don't have to cook mostly. At my family member's house they go around the table everyone says what they are thankful for and then prays. Them praying doesn't bother me cause I won't be praying anyways. We were talking about this ritual and asked if I would participate and I told my aunt I had no problem saying what I was thankful for but I don't pray so I won't participate in the prayers part of this tradition they have. She was a little uneasy by it but let it go. My uncle called and said it was "disrespectful" not to fully participate in this tradition. Because it isn't there fault I dont believe in their god. And I responded I think it's disrespectful for you to expect me to go against my beliefs to carry out your family tradition and appease you. I also told him he invited me for dinner knowing I was an atheist. So I think it's disrespectful to trust his beliefs down my face. I also added that we didn't have to come to dinner if he was so offended. I also told him that if he came to my house for dinner I wouldn't expect him to say "there is no god" before he ate.
To my surprise he admitted he was wrong and that he could see my point of view and that he wouldn't want me to be anything less than what I am and to do something I wasn't comfortable. He apologized and said he still wanted us to come to dinner and me and my husband said that was fine.
This same person I have butted heads with in the past few months over his religious programming. I think maybe I am making some headway. Tiny, tiny baby steps......It really surprised me....just wanted to share.
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Comment by sukhdeep on November 25, 2010 at 7:48am -
nicely done
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Comment by Hillary Spencer on November 25, 2010 at 10:50am -
Rofl doone too effing funny
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Comment by Hillary Spencer on November 25, 2010 at 11:47am
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lol
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Comment by Rose Trinh on November 25, 2010 at 10:24pm -
Great story.
I remember going for my first [Canadian] Thanksgiving dinner two years ago (I'm a first generation Canadian and my family doesn't really celebrate Thanksgiving.) I remember feeling rather awkward as my ex's Catholic mother asked the people at the family to say grace. Myself and the other guest at the table (an exchange student my ex's mother was housing) respectfully tilted our heads but never said an "amen."
Not sure where I wanted to go with this other than the fact that I felt so uncomfortable saying grace or prayer in any situation. I never grew up doing it and so I'm always thinking I'm offending someone... or rather I did feel awkward. Now I just don't really care that much.
I'll stop rambling now. :D
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Comment by Hillary Spencer on November 25, 2010 at 11:34pm
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It is awkward. Doing any practice your not whole hearted about. but they said prayer. I don't close my eyes, tilt my head or say amen personally. It was a nice dinner and we enjoyed ourselves. It was a little odd for my children who are small. We as a family don't say grace or pray but whenever they see others do it. my 3 has this confused look on his face as if to say "what in the world are they doing?".
At least they have a somewhat of a respect as to where I'm coming from.
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Comment by Hillary Spencer on November 28, 2010 at 10:49am
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I was very shocked. very very very surprised.
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