I hate when people pray over their food aloud in public

[DeschutesRiver]

259. Something has to harm us before we can express an opinion about the activity?

Or the activity has to fit someone else's definition of harm to a bystander before comment on a behavior is allowed?

Are we talking mental or physical harm being the prerequisite of holding forth an opinion about someone else's behavior?

Either way, it makes no sense. If that was the criteria for expressing an opinion, there would be no such thing as forums.

Besides, if as you say the OP was so very deeply upset, then you provided the evidence of enough harm that OP should be granted the right to vent about it (though I see no evidence of deep upset in the OP). And if consistency has any merit, then at a minimum, OP should be allowed to express his opinion just as loudly since it no more causes harm than the loudly praying people.

Anyway, there are lots of arguments here, but none favor your position. I agree with the OP, and even extend his argument. There is no need for anyone to be talking so loudly that others have to hear every stinking word that some egoist says, whether they are praying at a loud level, or yelling to their table mates or shouting on their cell phones. They are all consciously choosing to be obnoxious around others when there is an easy way to keep praying, or talking or be on the cell phone in a public eating place.

Just turn down your volume a bit to be considerate of others. And if not, then prepare for the possibility that someone might have a different view about what you are doing/saying in public and they just might speak their mind too. Oh, the horrors of it all... especially when the OP said not a word to these people, just brought it up on a "discussion" board.