The holy Ghost told me that I'd be called on. I fucking knew i'd be called on.

What to do? What to do? This is with my whole family and not the time I wanted to come out to EVERYONE, but declining the prayer would do just that.

So I gave the prayer and my adrenaline is surging.

Prayer I gave was the standard food bullshit prayer. But in my heart the prayer went.

Dear god,







FUUUUCK you,

Amen.

Think of it as a little white lie. To a non existent magical being.

You just built up your performance skills too, always useful in the real world.

"You did what you had to so you can control your life"

Interesting, I would think feeling forced into doing a prayer one does not want to do would be not having control of one's life.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2011 10:16PM by munchybotaz.

A person that is in control of their life would be able to politely decline when asked. I am an atheist and I will decline any request to lead a prayer that comes my way. If others want to take issue with that, that is them and they do not control me or my choices in regards to prayer.

MJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A person that is in control of their life would be
> able to politely decline when asked. I am an
> atheist and I will decline any request to lead a
> prayer that comes my way. If others want to take
> issue with that, that is them and they do not
> control me or my choices in regards to prayer.

MJ, that takes a certain quiet resolve. Nicely done.

I have a tendency to say the standard Church of England Grace, which does not ask for a blessing on the food, but thanks God for it, instead. TBMs do not seem to like that, much. Oh, well! :o))



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2011 10:24AM by matt.

matt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MJ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A person that is in control of their life would
> be
> > able to politely decline when asked. I am an
> > atheist and I will decline any request to lead
> a
> > prayer that comes my way. If others want to
> take
> > issue with that, that is them and they do not
> > control me or my choices in regards to prayer.
>
> MJ, that takes a certain quiet resolve. Nicely
> done.
>

It takes recognizing the trap and a strong desire not to be emotionally manipulated.

The circumstances that I did not control was being called on for the prayer. A very simple seeming thing. Should be a little thing. A request even.

But for those of us who grew up in Mormonism know that "called upon" is not an "asking" and not a "forcing," it is something very different.

Those of us who were born in the covenant understand that it is a situation. One where you can accept with zero negative consequences to everyone around you (and possibly a lot of consequences to yourself), or you can reject the calling and face a lot of consequences to yourself and to everyone around you.

Tonight I gave up part of my dignity so that the family could enjoy a nice meal together and enjoy my trip home (I haven't seen my family since last October.)

And while the ethical situation could be debated about what my dignity is worth vs. what my family's immediate happiness is worth. That's not the point I want to make right now.

I just want to say that an ethical dilemma was created tonight over a prayer to bless non-cursed food.

Fuck you, Mormonism. Fuck you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2011 02:20AM by raptorjesus.

That is the control mechanism used, it is the force applied. it is forcing. That is why TSCC brainwashes that behavior in. It uses your family as a force to control you.

But it does not take someone BIC to be able to spot behavior types that really are NOT limited to people BIC.

Indeed, someone BIC was raised with the behavior, thus, may believe the behavior normal or acceptable in a way that someone not BIC would would not. In short, a person BIC may well be too close to the problem to see it. A person not BIC sees the behavior described and sees the glaring manipulations that just are not present in non-cult families. I can see how raptojesus is being manipulated emotionally by the "Do this or I will be so hurt" manipulative tactic. Such tactics are used by emotionally manipulative people the world over.

"Dear Buddha,

Thank you for the Earth and Air and Sky and Food.

In Jesus' name,

Amen"

Just passing along my kids' favorite prayer to recite at mormon family gatherings. Always gets a stare, but nonone really knows what to say in return!

Tabitha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Dear Buddha,
>
> Thank you for the Earth and Air and Sky and Food.
>
>
> In Jesus' name,
>
> Amen"
>
> Just passing along my kids' favorite prayer to
> recite at mormon family gatherings. Always gets a
> stare, but nonone really knows what to say in
> return!

LOL. But couldn't you include Allah in it, too?

I think there must be a game that TBMs get off on. It's called lets make the atheist pray. When they pull that stunt on me I generally give the lamest blessing you can imagine.

You know: Nourish this food that it might do us the good we need. Blah blah blah.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank thee for this food, and for this beautiful day. Please bless this food that it may nourish and strengthen our bodies, and do the good that is needed. Please bless us all as we drive home that we may do so in safety.

We say these things in the name of, thy son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Did I get pretty close? :-)

My other favorite:

"Please bless this food that it won't make us fat!"

That was done in a young women's meeting years ago when the girl was asked to bless the donuts! hahaha

And to the previous poster above, I will see about giving a nod to Allah in the future! lol

Here is one:

We give a prayer to the memory of living things that died so that we may live. We remember the sacrifice of their lives so that ours may continue. We especially want to give thanks to the plants as they are most often forgotten about.

The animals have mobility and hope for their escape from death at our hands but the plants are anchored with their roots and none of us hear them scream. Most of all we are thankful that we are not a food source for other creatures.

The end.

How about giving a little,

"our dear heavenly father, we thank you for blessing us with wise living prophets like the Buddha and Mohammad. We ask thee (why thee?!?) to sustain this food, to nourish our bodies, and provide us with the clarity and peace of mind to recognize bullshit at face value. We ask all these things, in Jesus' name. Amen. Lord, we also ask that you return Pres. Monson's ears to whatever baby elephant he tithed them from"

:-D

It's kinda more for Thanksgiving but ...

<<Today may we appreciate this food and remember those who are hungry.
May we appreciate our family and friends and remember those who are alone.
May we appreciate our health and remember those who are sick.
May we appreciate the freedoms we have and remember those who suffer injustice and tyranny.
Peace on earth. >>

--or--

<<Good bread, good meat. Good God! Let's eat!>>

--or--

<<Thank you to all the plants and animals who died to give us this meal. Amen.>>

I'm sorry, RJ.

I must say I love these prayers people are suggesting though.

"Oh, God, hear the words of my mouth."

The spirit is never wrong. Go RJ!

Last time I was called to say one, I said something pretty much like this, "Heavenly Father, I hope it's good, thanks, amen."

As we used to say (after the "real" prayer)...

Good bread, good meat, good God, let's eat.

but my aunt used to call everybody in to prayer prior to a b-day dinner/thanksgiving/any party-dinner.

The last time I was over there there were about 20 people gathered in the living room. It must have been thanksgiving or xmas dinner. I was in the kitchen not wanting to get NEAR the prayer and thought I'd get away by staying in the kitchen. No good. "Matt - we're about to say the prayer - do you want to come in here?" I answered, "No thanks - I'm fine."

Crickets......crickets......".....dear heavenly father......"

LOL

Through the lips, over the gums, watch out tummy here it comes - Amen

or are you called on fairly often when you are around--or maybe it is just because you aren't around often.

Then there is me. I NEVER PRAYED in public--especially in church services--after I got a little older. I realized I could say No. I got a lot of flak about it, but I still said No. I never prayed in front of my ex. I'm sure that is why our marriage fell apart . . . ha ha ha

I have often felt that my dad, (a bishop a couple times) would call on me, or us as a way of indirectly checking our spirituality.

Isn't the first prayer over the food good enough?

Is there a time limit on a food prayer?

Does the blessing on the food wear out after the meal is done?

If you have a pot of soup and eat it over 3 days or more, why do you have to pray and thank god for it each time you eat it?

Can't god remember the first time he was thanked for it?

If the food gets blessed more than once, does it make it more nourishing since it's been double prayed on?

Wouldn't it make sense to bulk cook so that you could have left overs all week and gather all the extra blessings?

Why couldn't someone bless all the food at the grocery store and be done with it? (Then no one would be 'called' to pray...)

Actually, I'm the one who has to get out of bed in the dark, shower, shave, brush teeth, comb hair, get dressed, eat breakfast, make lunch, scrap the windshield, drive, sit at work for 8 hours, drive home, repeat, repeat, repeat..., wait for check, go to store, buy food, bring it home, store it, prepare it, cook it..

So why am I thanking god for the food?

What part did he do?

Why isn't everyone present thanking me?

Corporate called on me to give "grace" at a company annual conference a year ago. About 300 people there and a half a dozen MO's. Never closed my eyes, didn't bow my head, looked straight at them and gave a little 2 minute talk with an amen at the end.
Interesting note though, 5 years ago at the same conference an employee from Scotland gave grace and dropped the F-bomb twice. That was hilarious.

My brother's prayer:

"Rub a dub, dub.
Thanks for the grub.
Yay, God"

None of my dad's kids were ever asked to say grace by the bitch again.

My first companion in the mission field, first dinner.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Fastest hands get the most.

He then took my plate, dumped it on his and ate everything.

Dear non-existant Sky Daddy who people believe in so they can think they have help with the hard things when they're really being controlled by other humans who use religion to do so,

this food will be no different if you bless it or not, since you don't even exist. In fact, my being forced by social pressures to pray to a non-existant being is causing me great cognitive dissonance right now, so help with that too. My prayers should really just be to myself, since I'm the only one who can make things happen for me, so Self, I pray that in the future, you will be more courageous and shut down all this kind of BS.

Ramen, in the name of Cheese and Crackers.