JD Vance advises NY Times reader to cease whining about elderly neighbor's prayers: "Be normal"

Vice President-elect JD Vance became angry with a New York Times reader who criticized their neighbor's prayers to the liberal media outlet.

The New York Times Magazine's ethicist columnist received a question from an anonymous reader: "My neighbor keeps praying for me. What should I do?"

Their neighbor, who is described as a "sweet friend" and a "caring person," is "very religious" and often offers prayers.

She prays for me and communicates it in person, through text and email, even for minor matters. Although I've shared my perspective on religion and requested that she not pray for me, she insists that she must do so in order to adhere to the Bible. Despite my attempts to disregard this, I am deeply troubled by her inability to respect my wishes.

The columnist expressed that while she is pleased that the two are openly discussing their differing perspectives on prayer, the significance of the issue for each person appears to be dissimilar.

Kwame Anthony Appiah wrote that if you believe that these prayers won't benefit you, you likely also believe they won't harm you. However, she thinks that not praying for you will make you worse off and that it is her responsibility to pray for you.

Appiah advised the reader that they have the right to request the neighbor to stop informing them when she prays, but not to demand that they stop praying altogether.

Instead of expecting your elderly neighbor to change her behavior, I suggest considering whether you might adjust your own attitude and learn to appreciate her for who she is, recognizing her prayers as a genuine reflection of her affection towards you.

Vance responded to the reader's predicament, but his tone was less empathetic.

"Should you respond to the situation? Treat it as a kind gesture and stop being strange. Alternatively, think that the woman who prays for her neighbors may have a better understanding of life than the person who complains to the newspaper," he wrote on X.