{"id":32510,"date":"2022-09-10T16:12:20","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/bow-your-head-close-your-eyes-and-offend-your-atheist-friend\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:12:20","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:12:20","slug":"bow-your-head-close-your-eyes-and-offend-your-atheist-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/bow-your-head-close-your-eyes-and-offend-your-atheist-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Bow Your Head, Close Your Eyes, And Offend Your Atheist Friend?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

Leah Libresco felt trapped. She was an atheist student on an overnight college visit when a gospel choir decided to pray over her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kindly meant, but stressful for me,\u201d she says. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to tacitly agree with them, but I was also scared of giving offense.\u201d<\/p>\n

These days, as a convert to Catholicism, Libresco is worried about practicing her faith without offending atheist friends.<\/p>\n

To discover what makes them more stressed, she commissioned a study to find out what type of religious displays make atheists and agnostics uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

It turns out, most atheists feel just as awkward as she did with public prayer, particularly when they\u2019re asked to participate.<\/p>\n

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More than 6 in 10 atheists (62 percent) say they are uncomfortable when someone asks to pray with them. That far outpaces other public displays of faith, including religious discussions.<\/p>\n

Only a third of atheists and agnostics (33 percent) say bringing up religion or asking about religion makes them uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

Slightly fewer find it awkward when a Christian says, \u201cI\u2019ll pray for you\u201d (30 percent) or when they see someone praying before a meal (27 percent).<\/p>\n

Even though 27 percent is a relatively small number, it seemed high for Libresco when considering all that may be involved is a bowed head and a silent prayer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised by how strongly people felt about saying grace,\u201d says Libresco, \u201ceven though I had disliked it, too, as an atheist.\u201d<\/p>\n

She says it may have to do with what type of image comes to mind when an atheist or agnostic thinks about praying before a meal.<\/p>\n

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Some may envision being asked to hold hands and pray together, which is much different from one person quietly saying a personal prayer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was rooting for that to be less off-putting,\u201d she says, \u201cbecause it\u2019s an important part of my daily worship now. I want to find a way to both pray and eat with my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other religious acts were uncomfortable for far fewer atheists and agnostics: public religious procession (13 percent), praying with visible motions (13 percent), praying with a physical object (12 percent), wearing religious clothing (8 percent), and declining food or beverage for religious reasons (5 percent).<\/p>\n

For Christians like Libresco looking to practice their faith and keep their unbelieving friends, she offers some advice from her own experience on both sides of the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to talk to my friends about prayer at times other than when I\u2019m praying,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if they have questions like \u2018What do you mean by that prayer?\u2019 or \u2018What do you expect of me?\u2019 they can ask at a time when it doesn\u2019t feel like a referendum on whatever I\u2019m about to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Aaron Earls<\/h2>\n

@WardrobeDoor<\/p>\n

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Aaron is a writer for LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n