Do you pray at meals?

[Disney MAINEiac]

No, never have. had a grandfather who did, but it wasn't catching or it didn't rub off, either way he quit trying when I was around 12.

 

[freckles and boo]

I am another one of those atheists who doesn't ever pray, let alone at meals. I am more inclined to think of those who don't have decent food to eat when I sit down to a meal than I am to think of God. I know how fortunate I am.

 

[Buckalew11]

We always give thanks before any meal. The teachers at my DS11's school says he even pray's before eating his lunch at school. Its a wonderful habit to teach children

My 5th/6th grade teacher did this too. He was young, about 23 and I can still see him with his head bowed. Lots of times we'd giggle while he had his moment of silence. However, as years went by, it made a big impact on me.

Never! I'm an atheist and don't pray, period. If I'm with someone who does, I try to be respectful, but don't participate. As long as they don't make a big deal out of it, I just wait for them to finish. I don't do the joining of hands and will step away if others do. I am not very tolerant of it in my own home, either.

I don't like to hold hand either. Germs, ya know. And right before you eat?! Ack! I then have to get up and excuse myself to go wash my hands. We never hold hands as a family but I have been with others who do.

Me too.

It's kinda insultin' to the person who paid for 'n maybe prepared the meal.

We always ask a special blessing on the hands who prepared the food (family or WDW worker ) .

 

[kristilew]

We always ask a special blessing on the hands who prepared the food (family or WDW worker ) .

We do this too, when we are sharing a meal

But yes, we pray before our meals, even if it is the simplest "thank the Lord for dinner." Usually it's more. DH and I made a decision to do this when we got married and over the years it has served as a wonderful bonding time for our whole family.

Of course, I pray all day long, so it's nothing special to do it for meals - there's lots to be grateful for!

 

[littleteapot]

We always pray and we always hold hands (unless we are at another home where they don't hold hands). As a busy American family this is a much needed time of connection for us, to our God and to each other. We pray for our leaders, our friends, our family and then we thank God for the blessing of the meal. We all take turns praying.

We do wash our hands at home or germ-ex in a restaurant before we pray/eat.

 

[goofyernmost]

Never! I'm an atheist and don't pray, period. If I'm with someone who does, I try to be respectful, but don't participate. As long as they don't make a big deal out of it, I just wait for them to finish. I don't do the joining of hands and will step away if others do. I am not very tolerant of it in my own home, either.

I'm not an atheist, but I do so hate the linked hands thing. It always strikes me as a shallow, holier then thou, type of gesture. I feel it is more designed to impress people with their religious awareness and high ranking religious status then anything even closely resembling humility and mass sincerity.

For those of you that honestly feel spiritual by doing that, I apologize for my opinion and hope you don't get upset by it, I just cannot accept that the gesture that makes so many uncomfortable, is genuine. It's all for show, in my opinion.

 

[islandmum]

Nope. I never pray at meals. In fact, I never pray at all so at least I'm consistent .

same here

 

[aprilgail2]

Never! I'm an atheist and don't pray, period. If I'm with someone who does, I try to be respectful, but don't participate. As long as they don't make a big deal out of it, I just wait for them to finish. I don't do the joining of hands and will step away if others do. I am not very tolerant of it in my own home, either.

We don't pray before any meal- I hate the whole linked hands thing- first of all it seems all showy like "hey look at us we are over here praying" and second- ewww, germs. I would have to go get up and wash my hands before eating.
We visit family for Thanksgiving and they all pray, I just sit quietly while they do their thing, no holding hands or anything and its usually nice and quick. When my cousin does it its pretty painless "rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub" I had an uncle that had no respect for the fact I did not believe what they do and would always try to make me say grace- finally after arguing every holiday that I would not they gave up!

 

[lillygator]

nope

 

[Rora]

We pray before every meal. If we're out with others that we know typically don't pray, we'll pray silently before we eat.

EDIT: We certainly don't do the whole "hold hands thing and sway". One person just says a little prayer, we all say Amen and then eat. We don't make a show out of it.

 

[VickiVM]

I'm not an atheist, but I do so hate the linked hands thing. It always strikes me as a shallow, holier then thou, type of gesture. I feel it is more designed to impress people with their religious awareness and high ranking religious status then anything even closely resembling humility and mass sincerity.

For those of you that honestly feel spiritual by doing that, I apologize for my opinion and hope you don't get upset by it, I just cannot accept that the gesture that makes so many uncomfortable, is genuine. It's all for show, in my opinion.

I am very sorry you feel that way - I can only speak for me and my family, we hold hands for our own benefit and not for show (we're at home...who's watching?)

While we hold hands, my husband and I are usually giving our kids a rub/caress on their hand not unlike when you hug your kids you rub their back out of love. And although the prayer is a direct response to God and comes out our religious awareness of how God provides for our needs, I can assure anyone - we are by no means the 'example'.

For us it truly is an intimate moment between our family and our God and reconnects our family members at meal time.

 

[Tantor]

ahhhhh.....no

 

[mouseears4life]

yes, and we hold hands too, unless it just doesn't work logistics-wise (which sometimes is the case if we're eating out)

Usually one of our children says the prayer.

 

[dismom2]

:

I'm not an atheist, but I do so hate the linked hands thing. It always strikes me as a shallow, holier then thou, type of gesture. I feel it is more designed to impress people with their religious awareness and high ranking religious status then anything even closely resembling humility and mass sincerity.

For those of you that honestly feel spiritual by doing that, I apologize for my opinion and hope you don't get upset by it, I just cannot accept that the gesture that makes so many uncomfortable, is genuine. It's all for show, in my opinion.

 

[luvsJack]

I say a prayer of thanks every day, just not necessarily at meal times and have only recently made the decision that dd and I should get in the habit of saying a prayer with our evening meals (its usually only she and I here during the week). I have found recently just how much we should appreciate all the Lord gives us and that our needs are always met.

My best friend at work and I eat lunch together almost every day. She says a prayer before our meal. We do not hold hands or anything but she does speak in a normal voice tone and we do bow our heads in an obvious prayer; so I am sure others know we are praying. It is certainly not for show but a true act of gratitude for the blessings we have. The actual prayer she says does not only thank Him for the food but for any blessing we have received that day and for His guidance throughout the day.

I don't understand how some of you can determine that holding hands is for "show" for everyone who prays this way. I am sure for some it is; but not all. Isn't this simply stereotyping of religious people? I find that very unfair.

Of course, I don't think anyone should be forced to join in but I don't think those that wish to pray this way should have to choose not to because of some else's beliefs or lack thereof. And it certainly does not have anything to do with "high ranking religious status" but just the opposite; makes one more humble in their prayer.

In our church, the entire church will stand and hold hands to pray when we are praying as a whole for someone's health, the safety of our country, etc. An example of this was our prayers following 9/11 and after Hurricane Katrina. It is an act that is very humbling in that we are admitting we cannot come through this alone and very comforting because it gives us the knowledge that we don't have to.

 

[Claire L]

Nope never have done by choice and never will do!

Oh unless it is a dodgy looking meal then may pray we don't get food poisoning!!!!!

Claire

 

[pixie37]

Yes! My family prays before every meal even if we are out in public...Disney included. We also gather for a prayer "huddle" before we all leave the house in the morning. It's part of our morning routine and none of us would think of leaving the house before we've said our morning prayers...even if we are running late. I highly recommend this for those of you who do pray. It's make a huge difference in the way we start our day.

 

[goofyernmost]

:

It appears that I have been looked down upon, with pity, from on high.

I don't understand how some of you can determine that holding hands is for "show" for everyone who prays this way. I am sure for some it is; but not all. Isn't this simply stereotyping of religious people? I find that very unfair.

Of course, I don't think anyone should be forced to join in but I don't think those that wish to pray this way should have to choose not to because of some else's beliefs or lack thereof. And it certainly does not have anything to do with "high ranking religious status" but just the opposite; makes one more humble in their prayer.

I don't see any other reason for it. Do people that join hands feel that there is some extra power in the prayer if they link hands and show a display of solidarity to God? God then will have no choice but to grant their requests because of it? As I said, I wasn't intending to judge others, I was just trying to say how I feel about it. You have to admit though that if you are in a group of people and just one person makes the move to link hands the others, being of herd mentality, will feel forced to do the same, if for no other reason then to not feel outside the group.

One of the reasons that I don't pray much is because I don't have too. I have felt the way I do about organized religion for years and have freely expressed my beliefs. In that process I have discovered that because of my foolish, heathenistic ways, I have been added to the prayer lists of many, many people. They pray from me daily. I figure I'm covered.

 

[VickiVM]

It appears that I have been looked down upon, with pity, from on high.



I don't see any other reason for it. Do people that join hands feel that there is some extra power in the prayer if they link hands and show a display of solidarity to God? God then will have no choice but to grant their requests because of it? As I said, I wasn't intending to judge others, I was just trying to say how I feel about it. You have to admit though that if you are in a group of people and just one person makes the move to link hands the others, being of herd mentality, will feel forced to do the same, if for no other reason then to not feel outside the group.

One of the reasons that I don't pray much is because I don't have too. I have felt the way I do about organized religion for years and have freely expressed my beliefs. In that process I have discovered that because of my foolish, heathenistic ways, I have been added to the prayer lists of many, many people. They pray from me daily. I figure I'm covered.

You don't see the reason because you don't feel compelled to pray to begin with. The holding hands is not an added level of praying - we do it because it joins us together physically and spiritually. Not for show, or attention, or for extra points. Generally like minded people are gathering for prayer and would feel fine holding hands, but I have been in a circle prayer where some of the people just kept their hands to their side...no biggie.

 

[Nomi]

I'm an atheist, so I don't pray at meals or any other time. If I'm at a meal and the other people do, I just sit there quietly until they are done. It is a little awkward, but oh well.