Obligated to not pray for somebody?

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The sidebars can be temperamental - I found your post there…but I have seen them rearrange occassionally, even disappear for a bit…it’t them tricksy electrons!

I am not being passive-aggessive when I say I’ll pray for people, I really do. And often, especially in a work siuation, I don’t say anything, for fear of offense. If they can’t use the prayer, it will get rerouted to someone who can!
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
When asked specifically not to I expect compliance. At least with Mormons, baptism and temple work.
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It is also considered illicit for a Catholic to secretly baptize someone knowing either they or their parents do not want it – even if they don’t specifically tell them “don’t baptize me”!

Even though people doing this may have good intentions, too.

In any case this topic has provided me a laugh. To think you of all people would be accused of being “politically correct”? And I mean this in all charity. I doubt you would adopt that label for yourself.
 
ToeInTheWater said:
It is also considered illicit for a Catholic to secretly baptize someone knowing either they or their parents do not want it – even if they don’t specifically tell them “don’t baptize me”!

Even though people doing this may have good intentions, too.

In any case this topic has provided me a laugh. To think you of all people would be accused of being “politically correct”? And I mean this in all charity. I doubt you would adopt that label for yourself.
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I am not accusing HD of being politically correct. Re read my posts before making those accusations. My comment is regarding Political correctness as a secular vice.
 
atassina said:
I said, “I am praying for you.”
He said, “Don’t pray for me.”

Am I morally obligated to not pray for any person who requests that I do not pray for them. Both recent incidents happened at work about one year apart. I do not know the faith of either man.

This has happened in the past. I usually tell someone who is sick or having a problem that I am praying for them. I pray for those at work and social acquaintances.
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I would pray for them anyway and not mention it the next time.
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
I’m comparing respect for someone’s faith who might not match your own.

Shall we start baptizing those who don’t want it?
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When you baptize someone, you are committing an obvious action.

Prayer can be private. Since when do we pray for only those who like it? My great grandmother was fervently religious. Her son was an atheist, and he’d lose his temper if she was praying. She prayed anyway. For him.

My father’s brother once told me as I was reading a children’s bible when I was ten, “Why are you reading such rubbish?” His life was like the prodigal son, except he never came home for his father to give him a fatted calf. I prayed for him as a child. At every mass I went to, my dad would remind me to pray for him. Even if my uncle thought it was rubbish.

For the OP, pray for whomever you want, they don;t need to know.
 
  1. If it is a public prayer, then yes, there is a moral obligation to honor their request if they explicitly ask not to be brought up.
  2. If it is your own private prayers, then no, you are not morally obliged and you should pray for them. A person doesn’t have the right to tell a person what to do with their mental & emotional energy, or where to direct their conscious thoughts, which prayers are a part of. They might not think prayer is valuable, but as Catholics, we believe it is invaluable.
 
TK421 said:
  1. If it is a public prayer, then yes, there is a moral obligation to honor their request if they explicitly ask not to be brought up.
  2. If it is your own private prayers, then no, you are not morally obliged and you should pray for them. A person doesn’t have the right to tell a person what to do with their mental & emotional energy, or where to direct their conscious thoughts, which prayers are a part of. They might not think prayer is valuable, but as Catholics, we believe it is invaluable.
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Our moral obligation is to God first and foremost. And to do His work. That work is saving souls.
 
Supernatural goods need to be aligned to natural goods and natural goods need to be aligned to supernatural. Praying for a person publicly against their will, in a way that would embarrass and/or irritate them, would not be efficacious, either on earth or in Heaven, since it is made irrespective of the sensitivities of the individual.

Prayers can provide unlimited & infinite graces, but they are not ‘magic spells’ in the sense that if you say them, then they must be efficacious. They are submissive to justice and prudence just like everything and everybody else, and if they are not made in justice, in prudence, or in charity, then a barking dog is a more valuable noise than an Our Father, since the animal at least bears no ill will.

I’m talking about more local situations; i.e. a person at a parish. Broadly speaking, Christians have always publicly prayed for tyrants - for example - with or without their permission, since those are matters of the state and the broader public.

It’s always good to pray for a person privately but publicly, it is prudential.
 
AdamPeter said:
That is a very relativistic view. You can respect someone else’s belief and still desire that they come to the fullness of truth in the Catholic faith.
Catholics are supposed to pray for everyone. I would say it’s especially important to pray for those who reject prayers.
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I know my brother professes to be atheist but that doesn’t stop me from praying for him. He’s my brother.
 
Our love and caring for others is a prayer. But respect for others is another prayer.
 
Late to this thread, but this persons response is an indication that he needs more prayers than he realizes. I’d continue to pray for him and just not bring up the subject with him again.
 
Mary_Gail_36 said:
When you baptize someone, you are committing an obvious action.

Prayer can be private. Since when do we pray for only those who like it? My great grandmother was fervently religious. Her son was an atheist, and he’d lose his temper if she was praying. She prayed anyway. For him.

My father’s brother once told me as I was reading a children’s bible when I was ten, “Why are you reading such rubbish?” His life was like the prodigal son, except he never came home for his father to give him a fatted calf. I prayed for him as a child. At every mass I went to, my dad would remind me to pray for him. Even if my uncle thought it was rubbish.

For the OP, pray for whomever you want, they don;t need to know.
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THIS^^^.

We don’t tend to tell anyone that we are praying for them unless they ASK us to.
It’s often seen by non-Catholics as an aggressive “wow, you need a ton of prayers” attitude, and it’s unkind.

Pray. Of course pray. But don’t make an announcement.
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atassina said:
I said, “I am praying for you.”
He said, “Don’t pray for me.”

Am I morally obligated to not pray for any person who requests that I do not pray for them. Both recent incidents happened at work about one year apart. I do not know the faith of either man.

This has happened in the past. I usually tell someone who is sick or having a problem that I am praying for them. I pray for those at work and social acquaintances.
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I do not think you should tell someone you are praying for them honestly. Keep it to yourself, unless it is close friends or family. Some people take offense. It is work. Incidents like that can be easily misinterpreted. It is better to stay away from issues like religion at work.
 
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