A prayer at my public HS Reunion...

[Alex2kMommy]

I'm not singling you out personally, but I never could get the "he/she didn't mean any harm, it's only prayer for heaven's sake etc." argument. I do realize a lot of religious folk can't understand all the fuss that some people make because they just don't want to hear someone else pray in a public venue. But they do, and people should respect the fact that some find any public prayer offensive, especially in a place where they are not expecting it to occur.

I would never argue in favor of having a prayer, because I do find it exclusionary and presumptuous. It would have been nice if this person had asked the reunion committee beforehand if they thought it would be all right, and someone spoke up at that time and they agreed it should not occur.

I get offended when someone wants to preach at me, knowing I'm not interested and unwilling to participate. I find the assumption that everyone's a Christian, or that at least people won't mind a prayer presumptuous. How nice it would be if everyone were respectful of other people's beliefs!

But after the fact? I personally would let it go. If someone else felt the need to inform the speaker, or the reunion committee, that they found the prayer annoying or offensive or presumptuous, then by all means, I would support them in doing so.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Do you really think if an atheist gave an atheistic blessing or a Wiccan gave a Wiccan blessing or a follower of a polytheistic religion thanked multiple gods, that the only reaction wouldn't be "nit-picking" on behalf of non-atheists, Wiccans, and polytheists?

Personally I'd expect to get booed off the stage and probably screamed at and damned to hell if I expected a whole room full of people to tacitly participate in my atheist blessing.

I'd have the same reaction as to any prayer...I'd think the person was being rude, needed to get over themselves, and then I'd move on.

Although if you claimed to be a witch, that'd be funny enough to talk about. Some "Wicca" people just have a funky take on religion...very earthy and all that. Some think they can really cast spells! Still, I wouldn't be offended.

 

[smartestnumber5]

I guess that would depend on exactly what you mean by an "atheist blessing."

If it is simply a moment to collectively join thoughts in gratitude of togetherness or whatever, I can't imagine people would be all that anxious to damn you to hell over it.

If it is your prior example of wanting to recite an argument that demonstrates God doesn't exist --- well then that would also be extremely odd and inappropriate. I'm not sure exactly how the term "blessing" applies to that.

Well I mentioned earlier a benediction I gave at an honors award ceremony for my public high school--I did the togetherness thing and thanked a doctor who gave me meds to help me stop losing my voice so I could talk at the ceremony. I did not consider that an athetist blessing in the least since it was completely neutral in its presuppositions about the existence or nonexistence of a higher being and the nature of that being. So there was nothing in it that would go against the beliefs of any religion (unless some religion out there is against doctors.) I would call this a secular blessing.

An atheist blessing, on the other hand, would have to actually make presuppositions that are specific to atheism. For example: "Let us be thankful for the food we are about to eat and for this event. We know it is especially important to express our gratitude toward our fellow humans and the natural world for all of our blessings, for there exists no one and nothing else to thank. Let us make the most of our place in the natural world, to embrace the natural understandings of ourselves that the science (especially evolutionary science) has provided, and to resist the temptation to retreat from the natural to the supernatural when the going gets tough." (Of course it sounds weird, since atheists generally don't do blessings--since we don't think there's anyone to thank but other humans and the luck of the draw.) I would think a blessing of this type would not sit well with most people.

Here's an atheist prayer I found online (from a t-shirt):

Our brains, which art in our heads, treasured by thy name. Thy reasoning come. Thy best you can do be done on earth as it is. Give us this day new insight to help us resolve conflicts and ease pain. And lead us not into supernatural explanations; deliver us from denial of logic. For thine is the kingdom of reason, and even though thy powers are limited, and you're not always glorious, you are the best evolutionary adaptation we have for helping this earth now and forever and ever. So be it. (This one sounds weird to--who/what is the "thy"? I guess the human brain?)

Here is a Wiccan blessing I found:

Gratitude to the cosmos

"Gratitude to the cosmos
swirling masses of dancers

dancer atoms
dancer gasses
dancer people
dancer animal people
dancer rocks
dancer of endless possibility
dancing emptiness
dancing reaches
& dancing arcs of outer space
dancing of all things that have ever been
and will ever be

Gratitude to the cosmos
And blessings."

I honestly don't know what people would do if these type of prayers were conducted at an event like a public high school reunion. A few years ago one of my uncle's (by marriage) relatives was getting married and was having a Wiccan handfasting ceremony for their wedding. One of the other relatives called my aunt (both the other relative and my aunt are Catholic) and in an agitated voice asked if she was going to attend the ceremony. My aunt didn't understand why the relative was asking her this, but the relative went on to say that Wicca is satanic and there would probably be animal sacrafices and such so she and her husband were boycotting. My aunt didn't exactly believe this but she started to get nervous because she didn't know anything about Wicca, so she went to talk to her priest. He explained that Wicca isn't satanic and there would be no animal sacrafices and told my aunt that the Catholic Church had no objection to her attending the ceremony so long as, in addition to being happy for the couple, she somehow told them "I'd be happier if you had conducted your ceremony in the Catholic Church" (WHAT?!--she didn't actually do that of course!). Anyway, the point of all this was that the relatives who boycotted the wedding totally freaked out and refused to attend their loved one's wedding because of their distaste (and misunderstanding) of Wicca. And even my aunt who is generally a somewhat reasonable person was so easily influenced that she thought she needed a priest's permission to go to her loved one's wedding! If people react this way when it is their loved ones, I don't hold out much hope that people will react civily when it a stranger at a high school reunion who is asking them to participate in a Wiccan blessing.

 

[eclectics]

But after the fact? I personally would let it go. If someone else felt the need to inform the speaker, or the reunion committee, that they found the prayer annoying or offensive or presumptuous, then by all means, I would support them in doing so.

In this particular case, I agree with you.

 

[FayeW]

I really and truly don't see what anyone would get upset about. The attendees who did not want to participate could have taken that opportunity to think about whatever was on their minds, or to look around the room and see who they recognized.

I don't get upset when I see non Christians with prayer mats at sundown in a public place, either. As a matter of fact, I have great respect for the folks who live with the courage of their religion, and are not ashamed to show their conviction to their faith, even if it is not mine.

I don't understand why some of you are so threatened by someone else believing in God. Everyone has the right to practice their religion. Everyone has the right to practice no religion.

 

[DaisyD]

Someone always says a prayer at the beginning of our reunions for those that have died since the last one. Unfortunately that list gets longer with each reunion! I can't imagine anyone getting their panties in a wad over it. For those that don't pray, well then don't pray. Who cares!

 

[rie'smom]

It wouldn't bother me. Next time,ask if you can be on the organizing committee and if the suggestion of a prayer comes up,make your feelings known. Just realize that if you are part of a committee, that committee can vote against your wishes if they so choose. If you are really terribly offended
by the thought of a prayer then next time don't attend.