Why pray before a meal?

[Phantonym]

Also, I wouldn't pray out loud and make it awkward if I was eating with a bunch of non-believers.

That's just it. Praying is personal, it signifies the person's gratitude towards the things that matter to them. It shouldn't be awkward neither to those who believe nor to those who do not believe in that particular thing. Live and let live, it's as simple as that.

 

[Argus]

Do you know how I give thanks before a meal?

By paying for it with my credit card! Bytchin'!

Hahaha
Fair enough.

 

[Lexicon]

They made us say a little rhymed prayer before snack time in kindergarten back in my day. [public school, too]

I wasn't a fan of the prayer or the delay in cookies.

 

[kiddykat]

I grew up in a roman Catholic family, and at every meal time, we would say at least one "Our father" one, "Hail Mary" and another one- I forget. Then we'd go down the lineage, and say, "I welcome this person to eat" (starting from the eldest person to the youngest).

In a way- It was nice that we could be thankful, and I just went with the flow, but my way of giving thanks was different. I thought about how each piece of rice or vegetable was hand-picked by someone who'd bend over hunch-backed in the hot son, just so that I can have this nice meal on the table. I think that is what made me even more appreciative of what I had?

I guess some people have different ways of showing thanks, and that was just their way, and that was just my way..

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

What, to you, is the difference between questioning and criticizing? Does it change due to the topic at hand?

Is calling something "hypocritical blasphemy" questioning or criticizing?

 

[Qre:us]

Is calling something "hypocritical blasphemy" questioning or criticizing?

I think the OP and its intention was not so. One poster out of the whole thread said it as such, using those explicit words....why would you focus on that versus the whole motive/discussion of this thread?

Are you looking for criticism? And, overlooking the questioning?