Well, I guess I am going to have to come clean, and reveal myself to be a rude, stubborn bastard with evil intentions.
If someone asks for my prayers here or good wishes, and I am concerned, and I want to know how they are doing, I will respond here and ask here. We are a community, and keeping tabs on our various great news and bad news, and wishing people well and so on is part of it. People's threads here are part of the threads of people's lives. I want them here. I will do what I can to keep all the richness of people's lives unfolding right here. It is fun, educational, ennobling, humbling and deeply musicial. I want babies born right here in Mudcatland, the mother typing on her laptop as she goes (just to take her mind off her pain, of course!). I want people so happy about someone being cured or relieved of pain that they spontaneously contribute ballads of joy and choke up all the Internet service providers in the 10 directions.
I have not heard the slightest counter-argument that has any weight so far, just carping. Until someone can give me some intelligent reason why they are offended by people, here, at this place, giving virtual aid to others, I will go on supporting this evil vicious work. If people were posting threads labelled : THE HATING CIRCLE, I would be somewhat concerned, but that is personal taste. I am intransigent about responding here to impassioned requests for the miserable little good we can do for people in trouble, by wishing them well and praying for them. If someone wants to start a healing circle for me or for Hilary Clinton right here, I am for it -- I need it, she really needs it. If there is anyone here who doesn't feel they need to be prayed for spontaneously any time, in bus shelters, on the Internet, in Toys-R-US, by anyone who feels the urge, please let me know, so I can pray for you. And this is from a serious sceptic about the efficacy of healing lights or prayer!! But what possible harm can it cause???? And to have someone you have never met concerned enough about you to pray for you, or place you in a healing circle of light whatever the hell that is!! Is that not an incredible privilege in a world of people who don't give a shit about whether you live or die? Sorry, I just can't help it, I have struggled with it in my heart of hearts for about a micro nanosecond, and there it is. I am just a stubborn, evil bastard. I guess you will have to pray for me to see the light. Oh, rats, not supposed to do that here!!! PHOOOOOEY.
yours, Peter T.