I'm a bit confused as to why...?

Question

... I hear this so often: "I will pray for your soul."

Just because I am a Pagan. Or because someone is Jewish, Atheist, Buddhist, etc.

May I just say, I don't pray for myself all too often. I ask for the insight to understand when answers or knowledge is being presented to me. I ask for occasional hints, but mostly I pray for other people. I'm completely lost as to why anyone would want to pray for me. I'm a very happy, healthy person. I consider myself to be sufficiently intelligent and understanding, and I don't ask for help very often. I prefer to solve my life's obstacles myself. Honestly, I love my life and could not ask for more.

Why, I ask, would anyone need to waste their time praying for me?

Why, more so, would anyone waste time praying for me when there are little children in underprivileged countries right at this very moment starving to death? Children born with HIV? Children selling their bodies for just a little money for a meager meal?

Almost 2 billion people in this world do not have clean drinking water. 15 million, mostly children, die each year from illnesses caused by this unsafe water. Nearly 4/5 of the worlds population lives below the U.S. poverty line.

I can't even list every thing I would like to say.

Are there really people who would rather waste time praying for me, than any one of those people who need it a thousand times more? No matter what you believe, my soul isn't worth that.

Worry about real problems. Worry about things that need to be set right in this world.

I just don't understand why some people choose to be so short-sighted in a time when the world as a whole needs help the most.

So let's hear it. Why are happy, healthy, American souls worth more than the ones who need the most help?

Answer 1

In the eyes of God, there are none greater, and none less - all are equal in terms of the need for salvation.  Christians do pray for the underpriveleged, and even more.  Faith-based initiatives send billions of dollars overseas, not to mention millions of volunteers to assist in food distribution, education, medical needs, and so on.  Christian activity in all these areas is present, even in places where Christians are killed - shot, beheaded, tortured - just for helping.  (Ever read Voice of the Martyrs?  I doubt it.)

The problem with these countries and these 3rd world nations is NOT the lack of resources, but rather teh political and military dictators, tyrants, and tribal leaders who force their own ideals and regimes on their subjects, keeping them in hunger and destitution to keep them week and prevent well-fromed, armed, and fed rebellions.  Perhaps you are unaware of Darfur, Rawanda, and others.  No, it is not the lack of prayer or humanitarian aid - it is the rulers and authorities of these regions actually PREVENTING their people from recieving aid.  That is the reality.

You mention a lot of facts - 2 billion people without adequate water, etc.  Deal with the leaders first.  Prayer helps, but prayer does nothing without action.

Happy and healthy does not mean saved.  h**l is h**l, and is reserved for all those who reject Christ, whether you are fat and rich, or malnourited and destitute.  The Salvation Army has the right philosophy - Feed the need, and then preach the Gospel.  American souls are "the same price" as those who need the most help - if you are going to h**l, then YOU need the most help, starving and saved need less help - they already have eternal life, and if I were THERE in thier country and able to help thier hunger, I will - but I am here, in the United States and so I will pray for those who need salvation here also, as well as those overseas.

The gospels are also clear, when Jesus sent the disciples out into the world, He instructed tehm to take care of their own nation - their own neighbors and families FIRST; then to go out to the nations.  There are plenty of problems in our own nation also, these other nations are being taken care of to the best of our abilities with the resources we have.  

Just so you know, it is better to be wealthy which gives one much more leverage and ability to actually help out.

Answer 2

Mary asks us to pray for the conversion of the world. That means everybody.We (Catholics) also pray for the Governments of the world to see to the needs of the poor and hungry.

Answer 3

pray is sumthin general like: i pray whole humanity to flourish: you human and you got involve in that pray  too witout you even realize.

if you are one of those if I cant see I dun believe then juz ignore this answer. life is like a ship, and prayin is like a navigator, so and so you see the connections? but of cuz wit prayers you also need efforts.

summarization is effort+prayer=a gud life

and...the why and all. is cuz we're humans. humans forgetful,make mistakes,and all. lastly. if they pray for you, then juz accept em cuz complainin like this aint helpin you to go anywhere.

Answer 4

Why don't you take it a step further and stop praying for the children who don't have clean drinking water too?  If you want to help, give money to charities that help those children.  It's much more productive than praying, because it actually does something about the problem instead of hoping a nonexistent magical being is going to somehow help them.

Solve problems.  Don't pray.

____

Answer 5

you should be thankful to god for he has given lot of blessings to you. but you should also be aware that satan plays a very vital role in a persons life so that the person start hating god. as long as everything is comfortable to you , you dont think of god, but people who want to pray for you are those who are your well wishers who think satan should not find a way into your life and destroy the happiness you are living in.

now for world wide suffering. i find many people who want to talk in empty words, even you are doing same here, have you started to do anything for those people? even tho god has given you comfort level of living? no words is fruitful if its not followed by deeds says st.paul

Answer 6

Excellent point.  

Every suffers, however it is impossible to make even the suffering that comes from not getting a Porsche for your 18th birthday, with the suffering that comes from walking around with a machete in certain parts of the world at the age of 18 to make sure you don't die.

We Americans live in a fools paradise.  

And we complain way too much.

Answer 7

They are condescending