People do that to pregnant women, also..putting their hands all over their bellies and asking personal questions. Also people with young children of a different race, etc. People can be rude.

When someone starts reacting to your leg like they're about to do something religious, catch their eye, frown and shake your head.

If they start to blather on anyway, look annoyed, then turn away and pay them no further attention, but start talking on your phone, or to someone else, as though they aren't there, going on about your business.

Of course it grew back, right? You can't argue with success.

I'd say...wait you said diplomacy...

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Sorry everything comes out rude in my head. Good question though.

I can't stand when strangers think it's okay to put their hands on anyone. That anyone would touch you, without an invitation, is appalling to me. I don't care what their intent is.
I have a feeling, since you asked what you did, that you are being much nicer to these people than I would. Personally, I'd be telling anyone who invokes prayer, or anything else religion-related, to fuck right off. I don't believe in being "nice" to people who invade my personal space without an invitation, or try to push their god-crap on me. While it may seem that my response is rather 'rude', it's even more rude to go up to someone you don't know and start preaching to them, or praying over them, or touching them. It's like people who will walk up to a pregnant woman and touch her belly. WTF!!? If someone is going to go beyond the bounds of politeness, they're going to get what they get. Diplomacy doesn't work with idiots.

Ask them if they are really doing it for you or for themselves?

[sciencedaily.com]

Prayers Don't Help Heart Surgery Patients; Some Fare Worse When Prayed For

Date:April 3, 2006
Source:Harvard University

Summary:
So far, two studies found that third-party prayers bestow benefits, but two others concluded that there are no benefits. Now, the largest study to date, covering 1,800 people who underwent coronary bypass surgery at six different hospitals, supported the latter research.

Many -- if not most people -- believe that prayer will help you through a medical crisis such as heart bypass surgery. If a large group of people outside yourself, your family, and your friends joined in intercessory prayer, that should be even more helpful, so such reasoning goes.

Researchers have been trying to prove this and even to measure the effect. So far, two studies found that third-party prayers bestow benefits, but two others concluded that there are no benefits. Now, the largest study to date, covering 1,800 people who underwent coronary bypass surgery at six different hospitals, supported the latter research.

Not only that, but patients who knew that others were praying for them fared worse than those who did not receive such spiritual support, or who did but were not aware of it.

MORE @ [sciencedaily.com]

wow! I think I'd want to sock them one on the nose and hope that grows back!

With the truth.

Tell them you have no more room for prayers after loads of infertile prayers with no results. Tell them that actions speak louder than words and after so many prayers, some action will do prayers justice moving forward. Tell them that they do a disservice to prayers by compounding on the emptiness that it brings.