In a recent Reddit post, a user found herself facing a dilemma surrounding the act of prayer before meals. Here’s what happened.
Her Friend Is a Christian
Emily’s friend and her family are devout Christians, whereas Emily comes from a Buddhist home.
She is Not Religious
She is not very religious, but she does go to temple and do what her mom tells her to do.
The Hangout
The story began last weekend when Emily and her friend had planned a hangout at her friend’s house.
Things Took a Turn
As Emily arrived with some food, they were both hungry and eager to enjoy their meal.
But before they sat down at the dining table, her friend asked Emily if they could say a prayer.
It Was Awkward
Emily hesitated and remained silent, prompting her friend to ask again and explain that she wouldn’t have to say anything, just close her eyes and press her hands together while she led the prayer.
She Gave Her Reasons
Emily responded with an awkward smile and explained that she is Buddhist.
This Was Not Common
In her religious upbringing, praying before meals is not a common practice. Instead, they express gratitude towards the people who prepared and served the meal.
It Was Disrespectful
Emily voiced her concern that participating in another religion’s practice might be disrespectful to her own beliefs.
She Would Wait Until the Prayer Finished
She reassured her friend that she would wait for her to finish praying before she started eating.
Her Friend Asked Again
But her friend became visibly upset and continued to persuade Emily to join in the prayer.
She Declined
Emily respectfully declined once again, expressing her discomfort with participating in a practice that conflicted with her own religious beliefs.
Her friend sighed and began her prayer while Emily patiently waited.
She Felt Bad
The experience left Emily with an unsettled feeling, affecting her enjoyment of the meal.
This Hasn’t Happened Before
This was her first time hanging out at her friend’s house, and the first time her friend had asked her to pray before a meal.
Emily felt caught off guard because, in previous outings with friends, she hadn’t witnessed her friend praying or requesting others to join her.
She Felt Guilty
Despite her efforts to brush it off, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt and wonder if she had acted poorly.
Reflecting on the situation, Emily began questioning whether she was in the wrong.
She Wasn’t Wrong
She took to Reddit to ask if she was wrong for what she did and several Redditors sided with her saying she was not in the wrong.
Her Friend Didn’t Respect Her
One Reddit user wrote, “NTA. Staying quiet and respectfully waiting for her to finish before eating was the right move. Her pressuring you to participate was incredibly disrespectful after you declined. Asking you once was fine, but she should have left it at that.”
Another Redditor commented, “NTA. You respected her religion by waiting ’till after she prayed to eat. She did not respect your religion and tried to push you to observe hers.”
His In-Laws Gave Him a House as a Wedding Gift…but in the Most Insulting Way Possible
A young man whipped up concern and advice among Redditors when he revealed that he refused to live in the house his future in-laws wanted to buy for him and his bride. The problem was that the gift came with all sorts of strings. Here is the full story. His In-Laws Gave Him a House as a Wedding Gift…but in the Most Insulting Way Possible
She Refused to Pay for Another Woman’s Child to Have a Nanny
A young mother took to Reddit for opinions after she refused to pay a nanny to look after her son’s friend. It’s tough to share a good thing sometimes! Here is the full story. She Refused to Pay for Another Woman’s Child to Have a Nanny
Her Parents Declared They Were Moving Into Her House, but She Said They Should Talk to Her Lawyer
A young woman riled up Redditors and landed some kudos after she told her parents she was going to put them in a home. The backstory that follows is loaded with family drama and bad assumptions. You definitely don’t want to miss out on this one! Her Parents Declared They Were Moving Into Her House, but She Said They Should Talk to Her Lawyer
Her Manager’s IMPOSSIBLE Demands Were Proven to HR in a Spectacular Case of Malicious Compliance!
Casey’s tale of workplace struggle took an unexpected turn when she sought revenge on their demanding Department Manager. After documenting the unbearable workload, Casey’s actions lead to a surprising twist of events, leaving Hannah to face the consequences of her unfair demands. Her Manager’s IMPOSSIBLE Demands Were Proven to HR in a Spectacular Case of Malicious Compliance!
She Banned Her Housekeeper From Working at Her Mother-In-Law’s House
A stressed-out mom took to Reddit for opinions after she refused to share her housekeeper with her mother-in-law. The problem was they were sharing something else, too. Here is the full story. She Banned Her Housekeeper From Working at Her Mother-In-Law’s House
The post Her “Friend” Is DEMANDING She Abandon Her Religion…and It Just Gets Worse From There! first appeared on Career Step Up.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / wavebreakmedia. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit
