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Religious gift given to me

I do not want to come off as ungrateful or anything like that, but I just received a gift from someone I had been doing some work for and have developed a friendship with. It is a small ring with a prayer inscription on the inside and she said that the proceeds went to charity.

It is the "serenity prayer" if any of you know what I am talking about. I feel conflicted about wearing it. It is not often that I receive gifts and I really am overjoyed that she took the time and effort to pick a gift out for me. However, it does kind of bother me that it is a religious "symbol" I guess you could say. Any prayer that is asking God for courage or anything else like that is meaningless to me, obviously. I know that she had good intentions, but I can't shake the feeling of being bothered by it.

What would you guys think or feel about this gift? I put it on a chain and have worn it around my neck today but I have been thinking about wearing the inscription out of it. Is that horrible? Am I overreacting? Would anyone else feel this same way?

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Permalink Reply by Napoleon Bonaparte on January 6, 2013 at 10:38pm

Have you considered taking the stainless steel ring to a jeweller and having the inscription erased ? You could then wear the gift on a necklace and be happy about it.

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Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on January 9, 2013 at 6:51am

$$$$

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Permalink Reply by James Kz on January 6, 2013 at 10:48pm

That's a novel idea. The only problem with it would be if the giver wanted to see the ring later.

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Permalink Reply by Earther on January 8, 2013 at 4:48pm

Maybe the dog ate it.

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Permalink Reply by Noiz on January 8, 2013 at 6:47pm

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Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on January 9, 2013 at 6:51am

if real goto jewler? appraise? ; )
just being real.. i'm callous i guess

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Permalink Reply by Humble Pie on January 9, 2013 at 7:17pm

Probably cost $1.50 in the Christian book store. Wouldn't be worth the time.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Wooden on January 9, 2013 at 11:38pm

I would say the gift was an act of kindness and accept as that and move on. If someone asks you why an atheist wears such a ring you can always say it was a gift from someone more important to me than a silly myth.