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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A colleague I know recently lost their spouse, suddenly. They're a very religious person (Christian). I have compassion for what they're going through and know that they're experiencing a lot of tough emotions - and I certainly wish them peace.

But I do not believe in any gods. I do not pray, nor do I think it does anything whatsoever.

So I don't know how to respond when they ask me to keep them in my prayers. Obviously it's not respectful to say "I don't believe in prayer" at a time when someone's suffered a loss and is grieving, but at the same time saying "yes" or "I will" is completely disingenuous and dishonest.

Fellow atheists - how do you respond? Do you just say "I'll keep you in my thoughts." Or something else?
[/quote]

NP. Sometimes I wonder how some of you get through the world on a daily basis. This is not hard.

“I am so sorry. I will keep you in my thoughts and heart. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

Optionally, something I do because I have candles and I use them for meditation at times: “I’ll light a candle in his memory.” It’s something that is often appreciated by people who are religious.

You could also just say prayers. What is a prayer but a whispered wish out to the universe? Nobody in grief is going to be fighting over definitions. I’ve stood under the stars before and thought about lost loved ones before; how is that not a prayer in the face of the immensity of the world? Prayers don’t require divinity, they require intention and love. [/quote]

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