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To a sincere Christian, praying for someone in need is as natural as breathing, and may be the only response they can make (over and above a get well card and a bunch of grapes).
Whilst it can cause offence to the "beneficiary", most take it in the spirit in which it is given: at least it's not doing any harm, and it's nice to know someone is thinking about me.
There are however boundaries. In the UK, medical professionals have (rightly) been disciplined for shoving their faith down their reluctant patients' throats: it's seen as taking advantage of a patient who may not be in much of a position to argue.
My (vague) recollection is that Collins is directly or indirectly helping with Hitch's treatment. In that case he's possibly crossing an ethical boundary.
Permalink Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:57:03 UTC | #525289