Do you pray before a meal at a restaurant?

[chri'stina 190]

I've seen it before. Cree-py.

No, of course I don't. How strange.

Phew. For a second there I felt like I was in a loonie bin surrounded by gibbering cretins smacking their heads against the wall.

(No offense.)

I think it's kinda creepy too. And weird. And.....primitive.

Why? What good does "blessing" food do? Who and what are you thanking? What does a minor mythological figure from the Middle East have to do with eating a steak in Brooklyn?

If I "thank" anyone before I eat, it'll be the following:

a) myself or Mags for earning the money to purchase the food.

2) The food itself for conveniently dying so that I can eat it.

#) The chef/cook who prepared the food.

This is 2007 (almost 2008). We now know that plants grow for biological reasons, not magickal hocus-pocus reasons. ie: There ain't no god in photosynthesis. Likewise, if animals eat, they grow. When they've grown enough, people kill them so they can eat them. No god in that, either. "God" never gave me sh!t. I've earned - one way or another - everything I've ever received.

I'll thank Mags for preparing a great meal; that's as close to praying as THIS platy will ever get.

Well, I guess you and the others who find it creepy are just so far superior than us who pray.

[PlatyPius 5]

I've seen it before. Cree-py.

No, of course I don't. How strange.

Phew. For a second there I felt like I was in a loonie bin surrounded by gibbering cretins smacking their heads against the wall.

(No offense.)

I think it's kinda creepy too. And weird. And.....primitive.

Why? What good does "blessing" food do? Who and what are you thanking? What does a minor mythological figure from the Middle East have to do with eating a steak in Brooklyn?

If I "thank" anyone before I eat, it'll be the following:

a) myself or Mags for earning the money to purchase the food.

2) The food itself for conveniently dying so that I can eat it.

#) The chef/cook who prepared the food.

This is 2007 (almost 2008). We now know that plants grow for biological reasons, not magickal hocus-pocus reasons. ie: There ain't no god in photosynthesis. Likewise, if animals eat, they grow. When they've grown enough, people kill them so they can eat them. No god in that, either. "God" never gave me sh!t. I've earned - one way or another - everything I've ever received.

I'll thank Mags for preparing a great meal; that's as close to praying as THIS platy will ever get.

Well, I guess you and the others who find it creepy are just so far superior than us who pray.

No one ever said superior.... Maybe "less superstitious".

(I'm pretty sure that "blessing the food" was originally created as a means to call upon holy protection and assurance that the food wouldn't kill you... a not-uncommon occurance in those days before refrigeration, hygiene, etc.)

[Nessa 23]

I don't, but I'm not a religious person. I don't see anything wrong with it, actually, I think if you feel like doing that, good for you, there's nothing you can lose by praying, right? I don't see why not.

[sereia 0]

I don't, but I'm not a religious person. I don't see anything wrong with it, actually, I think if you feel like doing that, good for you, there's nothing you can lose by praying, right? I don't see why not.

i agree! and i don't do it either.

[LaL 418]

Sometimes I'll do a quickie under my breath, Gordon Ramsie style, to not die from food poisoning.

[Fandango 1,439]

I'll pray, but in my head. I don't make the big hoo ha spectacle of it.

[Cassie 8]

Yes, we pray before our meal, and we do it in restaurants as well. Nothing long or loud, just something our table can hear. If we are with friends who we know prefer not to do that, we say a prayer individually and silently.

[PlatyPius 5]

Yes, we pray before our meal, and we do it in restaurants as well. Nothing long or loud, just something our table can hear. If we are with friends who we know prefer not to do that, we say a prayer individually and silently.

I wish more people were like that. There's not much that's more annoying than sitting there staring at food you want to eat, but you're forced to sit through some long-arsed, boring prayer when you aren't even Christian...

[mustang-sally 8]

Yes, we pray before our meal, and we do it in restaurants as well. Nothing long or loud, just something our table can hear. If we are with friends who we know prefer not to do that, we say a prayer individually and silently.

I wish more people were like that. There's not much that's more annoying than sitting there staring at food you want to eat, but you're forced to sit through some long-arsed, boring prayer when you aren't even Christian...

My parents are very religious and say a prayer before every meal. The prayer is short and sweet like - "Thankyou Lord for this food we are about to eat and bless it to our use, Amen"

I personally dont think it needs to be any longer, otherwise the food goes cold

[Cassie 8]

Yes, we pray before our meal, and we do it in restaurants as well. Nothing long or loud, just something our table can hear. If we are with friends who we know prefer not to do that, we say a prayer individually and silently.

I wish more people were like that. There's not much that's more annoying than sitting there staring at food you want to eat, but you're forced to sit through some long-arsed, boring prayer when you aren't even Christian...

It's just as bad when you are a Christian.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Yes, we pray before our meal, and we do it in restaurants as well. Nothing long or loud, just something our table can hear. If we are with friends who we know prefer not to do that, we say a prayer individually and silently.

I wish more people were like that. There's not much that's more annoying than sitting there staring at food you want to eat, but you're forced to sit through some long-arsed, boring prayer when you aren't even Christian...

Its funny, cuz kids that dont pray before meals will just start chowin down and the parents have to say "wait wait" The kids sitting there with a wth look on their face.

[Marlita 0]

Yup! I pray before my meals, either in a restaurant or not. Its not an outloud prayer just to my self blessing my food and thanking God for it!

I notice that I am ususally the only one in my group of friends that does it....I guess it just depends on how you were raised. My parents did it all the time.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I'm an atheist, from a family of atheists and agnostics, and married to an atheist, also from an atheist family. The only thanking that happens at any of our tables is to the chef, or maybe the person who brought us the dinner plate!

I also have to say that I have never, to my recollection, seen anyone praying in a restaurant. Am I not going to the right places?

[JODO 2]

I also have to say that I have never, to my recollection, seen anyone praying in a restaurant. Am I not going to the right places?

No. It's probably because many people who day pray over their food ,while eating out, try to do so as discreetly as possible.

[Alex+R 0]

We do.

I've seen it before. Cree-py.

What's creepy about praying before a meal?

It's not creepy...unless being thankful is considered creepy.

Thankful to WHOM? That's my problem. Plenty of people deserve thanks and praise -- too bad so much energy is being wasted on religious praise, IMO.