Please take this post in the spirit that it's intended. I don't mean for it to be inflammatory, but to let you know how I feel, and why. Maybe it can help us understand each other better.
Many of you are very committed to your faith, and I commend you for that. It's an important part of almost all cultures. I would never try to belittle your faith, or you for believing in it. By the same token, I would feel that I would get the same consideration from you.
I think that if someone is asking for prayers, and heading the thread in that way, it's great. I will probably offer prayers to the Creator, but might not participate in the thread. I pray in my own way, according to my culture.
When a person asks for Christian prayers, I would not read that thread at all, because it's obvious that they don't want prayers from me. If the thread itself indicates that it is going to be a religious thread I may or may not read, but would have to really consider whether I should post. (this has been a hard thing for me at times, but I am learning that it's necessary) But, if it's a thread that purports to be about chickens or some other topic, and suddenly becomes a forum for someone to testify, and to expound on their religious beliefs I am uncomfortable and offended. I am suddenly confronted with something that I wouldn't have read otherwise. I would be as uncomfortable if they had decided to talk about their sexual habits. These are personal issues that are none of my business.
As a non Christian, I see that there are a lot of others here that don't seem to subscribe to the Christian theology. But most of them seem to be reluctant to come forward with this information. It might be that we have been inundated with a feeling that unless we believe what you believe, we are just wrong. There seems to be an attitude that we should be open to accepting that Christian viewpoint, but that since the Christians are the "only ones who are right" you should not have to explore our viewpoint. That comes from Christian society in general, not just this board.
I've had very good people tell me that I'm going to go to he**. That's offensive to me. If my faith has no concept of that place, then I am not going to go there, and you can't send me there just by saying so. And I would never think of telling you that something from my faith will happen to you unless you believe as I do.
If you want to put scripture in your signature line, that's fine, it expresses your life. But if I put some of my traditional spiritual thoughts into my signature line I would expect that you all would respect that as well.