Updated: 03/15/05
 
 

CHAPTER 10

PRAYER

PRAYER IS A RELIGIOUS BELIEF.

            To the Clear Thinker, prayer is the most illogical and unbelievable belief taught by religion. The concepts and claims of prayer go against all the teachings about all the Gods in all the religions. The teachings in the holy books tell the believer who God is, what his attributes are and what he does. Yet, the concept of a begging prayer to an Almighty, Just God disputes all the other claims made about all the Gods in all the holy books. If the claims for prayer are true, then the other attributes and claims made about the Gods in the holy books are false.

            Prayer, according to all religions, is the only means the believer has to initiate communication with his God. Some get on their knees, bow their heads, close their eyes, imagine their God in their minds and beg from him. Some pray by writing their prayer on paper and hiding the paper, or sticking it in a crack of a wall. Others write prayers on the blades of a little windmill assuming when the wind blows their prayers will be floated up to God. Others, not trusting to the wind, write their prayer on wheels and turn or spin the wheels themselves, by hand. Some fashion prayers in the form of little beads on a string and finger these beads as they ride, watch television or listen to someone talk to them. Still others slash their bodies, crawl long distances, ring bells, or beat drums and call it prayer.

            So prayer is the only means believers have to initiate contact with their God. Of course, God is not restricted to such a single line of communication. He can speak in visions, dreams, messages to the head, face to face and in revelations given to someone special that eventually filters down and gets to the individual believer. He also has other means of communication like earthquakes, lightning, droughts, disease, storms and many other such wonders (according to the religions). Remember this!

PRAYER IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF ALL RELIGIONS.

            Prayer is the Center around which all other doctrines, teachings, claims and religious beliefs must circle. Without prayer, all religions and all their claims are dead. Without the concept of prayer, none of the other religious claims can possibly be true because they all depend on this form of communication to and with God for verification, or activation of the many claims and promises made in the holy books.

            For instance, if one wishes to be forgiven for his wrongs and be saved by one of the "plans of salvation," or any of the general Christian plans, he must first confess his sins. How does he do this? He must pray to God or have someone pray to God in his behalf. (Notice, he does not confess or pray to the ones he has wronged.) Next, he must pray to God and ask God to forgive him and accept him into the Body of Christ. (Notice, he does not ask forgiveness from the ones he has wronged.) Finally, he must pray to God and thank him for his salvation. (Notice, he does not share this jubilation with the ones he has wronged.) Without this concept of prayer there can be no salvation as taught to us by the Christian religions!

            Prayer is the Central doctrine and concept of all religions. Without the concept of prayer, there can be no religion as taught today on this planet. Therefore, if prayer is Not a valid concept, if the Gods neither pay attention to these prayers, nor answer them, then all religions are fraudulent and false. If prayer is a false concept, then God has Not requested that we pray. If God did not request prayer, then the holy books (which claim the Gods did make such requests) are telling us a falsehood and those holy books cannot be believed, or accepted as true, or as coming from a God. All of Christianity, or of any other religion, depends one hundred percent on prayer to Activate and Validate all their other claims.

            There are those who pray to an intermediary (or a saint) hoping such a prayer will eventually reach God and the prayer will have more impact on God than it would if it merely came from a lowly believer. This brings up some questions. Does God not hear the prayer at the same time the saint hears it? If not, why not? Does God not hear a prayer unless it is directed to him personally? Why not? Is there a prayer postal service where prayers are separated, routed and delivered to the intended recipient? Can one pray to God in the name of say, some local Saint Joe and still get God’s ear the same as if they prayed in Jesus’ name? Does God really get jealous or peeved (as the Bible claims) if the prayer is directed to another God, or to a saint and not to the Christian God? This concept should raise doubt and give pause to believers who think a dead saint can have more influence with God than can a live person. How does this work?

            So, God is the ultimate hoped for recipient of all prayers according to the religious teachings. Let us look at the being "God" to whom all prayer is ultimately directed. God is claimed to be in charge of everything. He is claimed to be all-wise, all-knowing, all-just, all-powerful and all-present. All-wise means God always makes the wisest decisions and takes the wisest action divinely possible. All-knowing means God always knows what IS the right thing to do. All-just means God never does any unjust action, has any unjust thoughts nor varies from his Own just course of action and his Own wise counsel. All-powerful means he can do anything that is in keeping with his own wisdom and justice. All-present means he is everywhere and knows everything.

            The Gods of all religions are being treated here in the singular since all supreme Gods generally conform to the above description. So believers pray to this all-wise, all-knowing, all-just, all-powerful and all-present God.

            To pray means to ask, to petition, to solicit, to plead, or to beg. In other words, to pray is to beg. So, those who pray are beggars. They beg from this perfect and good God, the wise, knowing, just, powerful and present One.

            Believers’ lift their voices to this perfect, Just God and beg. They beg for wisdom. They beg for Aunt Mary to get well. They beg God to run Castro out of Cuba and they beg for food. They beg for rain (or sunshine). They beg for guidance and they beg to be loved by someone. They beg for their enemies to be defeated. They beg for health and for victory in war (or on the sports field). They beg for knowledge and a raise in their pay. They beg protection for themselves and their families. They beg to win the lottery.

            That is to say, they beg for:

            Wisdom without honest clear thinking,

            Wealth without work,

            Health without good habits,

            Food without farming,

            Eternal life without enjoying this one,

            Happiness without heartache,

            Love without being lovable,

            Safety without being cautious,

            Strength without straining,

            Victory without being valiant,

Forgiveness without restitution,

            Knowledge without studying and on endlessly.

            The main purpose of prayer is for the begging believer to get “Something for Nothing” from their wise and just God. In fact, the whole idea and attitude of prayer is that the beggar can convince, bargain, blackmail or intrigue God in some way to give the beggar something for nothing, just by begging for it. Believers even assume divine prerogative and seek to tell God how to run the world. In fact, the beggars believe they are commanded by God in their holy books to tell God what to do and what they wish to happen.

            If you were God and were all-wise, all-knowing and all-just, would you think it wise or just to give to the beggars what they asked? Would you spoil the lazy that pray in that fashion? Would you follow the believer’s selfish requests and follow their orders on what to do about the world’s problems? Is it a fact or a fiction that God answers these begging prayers?

            There is a most logical and necessary question that the Clear Thinker must ask himself - and the religious believer. This question directed to the religious believers who seek to beg, bargain and cajole favors from the Almighty, is this:

"CAN PRAYER CHANGE GOD'S MIND?"

            If prayer does indeed change God's mind, plans and actions, what was wrong with God’s original just and wise plan of action? Doesn't God always know and always do what is just and wise? Doesn’t God always do what is best and right? Or, do the religious believers worship a God who often does Not do what is best or right unless believers pray and correct him? Must God be constantly "Tempted" through the prayers of the religious believers to forget his responsibility and pledge to do what is wise, just and right, and instead, follow the believer’s plan of action? Does God take orders from the less-wise? Is God wishy-washy? Is God confused? Please! Explain this to me!

            On the other hand, if God always does what is just and best and right, why do the religious continually bombard him with selfish requests to do otherwise? That is, to do what they wish him to do? Or to put it another way, why do the religious believers seek to beguile God into doing what is not just and best and right?

            If God listens to the less-wise and selfish requests and obeys such requests from the believers, do the religious believers not worship a God who makes errors? That is, he goes against his Own wise counsel and follows the counsel of the misled and selfish religious believers. Is this not an Error on God's part to answer these prayers and to do the bidding of these thoughtless and selfish requests?

            If God needs the guidance of the Believers to correct his original decisions, and if he substitutes the religious requests that are deemed better than his, then the Believers worship a God who makes errors unless someone prays and corrects him. This is one of the reasons Why the religious pray. That is, to correct God's mistaken decisions or activities upon the earth, either before he makes the mistakes, or after he makes them.

            If there were no other errors in the holy books, except this concept of prayer, it would be evidence enough that no God had anything to do with the origination or preservation of these holy books and the religions that stem and blossom from them.

            In the Bible, Jesus and God insist that men pray so God may change his acts and plans according to that person's request and advice on how to run the business of this world. Since when have the wishes of mere man been wiser than the plans of an Almighty God who is claimed to have the wisdom to build a universe out of nothing? If there is a just and wise God, then

PRAYER IS THE MOST BELITTLING AND

THE GREATEST INSULT TO GOD IN RELIGION!

            Why is it the religious believers do not trust their God to make wise decisions? Why is it the religious believers think they have enough wisdom to advise God about health, weather, war, politics, food, marriage, institutions and yes, even religion?

WHY DO THE RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS

NOT TRUST THEIR GODS?

            Does anyone actually expect God to forsake his Own wise course of action and substitute the action for which the beggar pleads? Can a person call on his friend, God and plead for God to forsake his own just action and substitute the friendly beggar's request? Can friendship be used to bribe God to do something different than God's own wise counsel dictates? Can God be blackmailed with good works? Why do believers Tempt their God in this manner? Does God take anyone's counsel but his own? Does God run errands for the Believers? Does God pay any attention to such selfish requests and thoughtless begging? What do you think?

            Why do the believers think they need to remind God that Aunt Mary is sick? Did he forget? Is God about to make a serious mistake? Why do the believers think that if enough of them pray long enough and hard enough, they can “Worry” God into doing their bidding? Is God the president of a democracy waiting on the vote and consensus of his underlings before he heals Aunt Mary, or corrects his former mistake and runs Castro out of Cuba?

            If there is a God, he is wise and just. He is going to do what He decides is best and all the begging in the world will not add one extra rain drop, one extra field goal, or one ear of corn.

            Prayer is a priestly tool used in the same manner as a magician uses illusions to fool the gullible. There is no proof prayer ever supernaturally changed a single event on this earth. Prayer cannot change God's mind. At best, prayer is barbaric nonsense. At worst, prayer steals our humanity and our ability to think logically and honestly. It teaches people to ask for and expect something for nothing. Our jails are full of those raised up on prayer that expect something for nothing. They help God supply their needs and wants by going out and taking what they think should rightfully be theirs. If they get caught, they believe they can obtain God's forgiveness by simply praying. They don't even pretend to ask their victims to forgive them (as a rule).

            The very act of prayer proves, those who pray do not Trust their God to do what is best, what is right and what is just. They seek to correct their God's mistakes, either before he makes them or after he makes them.

            But the teachers of religion claim God does indeed answer prayer. Yet, the Bible says God is in charge of everything in the world. According to the religions and holy books, God is responsible for the care and welfare of at least the believers, if not the whole world. He is supposed to be responsible for the good and the bad. God is claimed to have made the world and all that is in it, plus the universe. The holy books say God has plans for the world and for the people in it. It is supposed to be the best plans an all-wise and all-just God can devise. Why do the Believers not accept and believe this? Why don’t they trust their Gods? What IS their problem?

            Prayer is an ancient concept held over from the time when gods were looked upon as cranky, indecisive local spirits needing to be appeased and placated with offerings of fruit, flesh and females. If you pleased the spirits, they would grant your wishes. So, the people in their gullibility were taught to talk aloud to the spirits. Later they were taught that they could talk to the gods in their heads if they wished, just so long as they continued to bring the fruit, flesh and females. Prayer was born out of ignorance and gullibility. Prayer is still practiced out of those same two weaknesses, that is, ignorance and gullibility. To those two add two more, the lack of a good, honest, moral character and the Lack of Faith in their own God's judgment and activity.

            It is not wise to worship a God who can be bribed with good promises, or blackmailed with good deeds, or who cannot make up his mind without counsel from you. Your enemies might have more time to give to the enterprise than you. They may have more money to hire professional prayers. Laymen cannot compete with religious professionals, so stay away from Gods who accept bribes and "fix" tickets.

            If you were a God, can you imagine listening to all the selfish advice he gets on how to run his business, and that from people who have less than a hundred years experience in running a world? Just who is qualified to tell God what to do about Aunt Mary's sickness, Uncle John's financial reverses, or Russia's trouble with China or whomever the current enemy is? Certainly, not me. Who then? The Pope? The Rabbi? The Minister? You?

            Could God be so insecure and indecisive that he needs your vote on whether to let it rain, or let the Russians bog down in economic woes, or Aunt Mary get well? No place in the Bible do I read that God is the president of a democracy. No church I know of claims God is the president of a democracy. I have never read in the Bible or in any church literature that God's actions are to be a consensus of public opinion. Yet the church and the Bible teach, if enough people pray hard enough and long enough, God will change his mind (called “repent” in the Bible) and do the bidding of the beggars. Is that the truth? Or is someone "pulling our leg?"

            God is described as all-knowing, all-seeing, all-present, all-mighty and all-wise. He is also described as all-good and all-just. If even “One” of these attributes were to be believed by the religious believers, there would be absolutely no request made of God. God would be trusted to run this world in his very Own wisdom, that is, if the religious believers really believed God is in charge of this world.

PRAYER PROVES THE RELIGIOUS DO NOT BELIEVE
IN AN ALL-WISE, ALL-JUST AND ALL-GOOD GOD.

            For a worshiper to make a request of any kind is to belittle God, berate God's intelligence and set oneself up as able to counsel and advise God on what to do and on what action God should take. This goes for any kind of request including asking for protection, guidance, food, or salvation.

            Let's look at prayer from another angle. It is interesting to note, insurance companies in their statistical tables do not give any credit to those who pray. The companies know from past experience, so many thirty years’ old people will die, so many fifty years’ old people will die, so many seventy years’ old people will die. They know there will be so many accidents, so many casualties, so many suicides and so much sickness.

            If one does not smoke, he can get cheaper rates from many companies. If one goes to a driving school, he can get cheaper rates. If one has fire protection built into his home, he can get cheaper rates. But no company has cheaper rates for anyone because he prays. Why not? There is no difference in the accidents, in the deaths, or in the health of those who pray and those who do not.

            I like to watch boxing sometimes since I lost some bouts in high school and college. Sometimes you can see the boxer kneel in his corner before the bell sounds for the first round. Sometimes both boxers kneel. Sometimes neither kneels. What happens? Does the one who prays always win? You should never bet on a bout because one prayed and the other did not. Rather, you should bet on the conditioning and stamina, on the skill and the past record. Sometimes the prayer wins. Sometimes the non-prayer wins. But the best boxer with the best skills, conditioning and corner always wins. Prayer does not help in boxing. It doesn't help in any sport. Prayer does not help in business. Prayer does not help in science. Prayer does not help in chess or bowling. Prayer does not help in medicine unless the sickness is caused by the gullibility of the mind in the first place.

            Not only does prayer not help, it often hinders. If someone truly believes in prayer, he may depend too much on prayer and not enough on preparation for the event coming up. It is better to study for an exam than to spend the time in prayer. It is better to practice at one's sport than to spend the time in prayer. It is better for a doctor to review the operation procedures before an operation than to spend the time in prayer. Foreplay will warm your lover and prayer will not. Prayer does not prepare one for any activity or anything else, except possibly for preaching. My comment here is most preachers who prepare by praying, do not pray long enough.

            Prayer does not take the place of medical care. Observe your paper. Almost daily someone is in court because they have withheld medical attention from one of their sick or diseased children. Not less often someone is on trial for murder or manslaughter because the child died from lack of proper care. They trusted in prayer. Credulity and ignorance marches on, head high and eyes looking to the sky. Prayer is ignorance in action. It also defies and belittles God's own good judgment.

            You have all read the stories or seen them on television, the lost at sea stories, lost in the mountains, or sealed in a mine cave in. Most of the time, those who are rescued give God the credit and testify it was their prayers and the prayers of their loved ones that saved them. I once watched just such a live scene on television after a mine disaster. While a woman in the very near background hovered over her dead husband, a survivor gave his testimony to how prayer had saved him. Before the reporter could remove the microphone the woman hovering over her dead husband sobbed out, "We prayed too, we prayed too!" The rest of her words were cut off by the network censorship. What a pity!

            Do the survivors think they prayed better or harder or were more favored by God than those who did not survive? Certainly not, “IF” they stop to think! Surviving in a catastrophe has much to do with safety skills, endurance, physical skills, psychic skills, ability to think under pressure and being in certain protected places when the catastrophe strikes.

            Some praying believers who are pronounced as incurably ill get well, some do not. Some who are not so seriously sick, worsen and die, others do not. Some survive operations. Some do not. Some given up for dead, survive, some do not. Religious people are always quick to let God take credit not only for the survivors, but also for the unfortunate who do not survive. They lump most of the unfortunate under the great and all-inclusive canopy, "God’s Will." They let the unfortunate and their families worry about why God was mad at them. What did God have against me? What great sin have I committed to be rejected by God like this? The chaos and mental troubles created by the concept of prayer and "God's Will" is unbelievable. One who believes in prayer will believe Anything. This is not to mention the social chaos created by this concept of prayer and God's Will. (We will deal with "GOD'S WILL" in Ch. 20.)

Prayer can only be defended by using Hostility.

            Children are taught (read: brain washed) to pray almost before they can talk. So let's look at giving thanks to God as a form of prayer. "God is great, God is good and we thank him for our food." How about these? "Santa Claus is great, Santa Claus is good and we thank him for our toys." "The Green Giant is great, the Green Giant is good and we thank him for our peas." "Walter Cronkite is great, Walter Cronkite is good and we thank him for our news." All of this sounds silly, doesn't it? So, what is the point?

            Silly Is The Point! The point is this. Where are the Deserved thanks for the nursery that raised the seeds for the farmer to plant? Where are the thanks for the farmer and all of his helpers who made the food possible? And how about thanks for the tractor people, and the pickers, and the fertilizer people, and the truckers, and the wholesale warehouse, and the bank that loaned the farmer the money to buy the seed and labor? What about thanks for the storeowner and the workers in it and what about Daddy who paid for it? And do not forget Mama who cooked it with loving hands. God has stolen a multitude of praise and credit that rightfully belongs to others.

It would seem such prayers of Thanks must be a total embarrassment to God.

            An old, old story illustrates the point quite well. The minister was getting onto the farmer for bragging so much about what a great farmer he was and what great things he had achieved with the land he earlier purchased. "You must give God some credit," the minister told the farmer. The reply was classic. "Preacher, you should have seen the terrible mess this farm was in when God had it all by himself."

            History has never verified a single action, a single row or corn planted, a single family fed, a single boat built, a single suit of clothing made, a single bird fed, nor has anything else been certified as accomplished by a supernatural being or God who worked outside of the laws of nature.

            Why then, would people wish to brainwash their children into believing myths and lies? My thoughts on the matter are that there is no place for prayer in the lives of intelligent people. Children should not be taught to pray to a Santa Claus in the sky who is ready to bail them out of their troubles. Instead, they should be taught that man is Responsible for His Own Mistakes. They should be taught; "Do not do to others what you would not have others do to you." They should not be taught someone in the sky will suffer in their place and forgive them for their mistakes. They should be taught to learn from their mistakes.

            Prayer teaches laziness, injustice and irresponsibility. It places the highest value on gullibility and ignorance. Prayer places a "something for nothing " attitude in a child's mind. Above all, prayer gives false hopes and false expectations. Prayer is a personal and social Sin! And some wish to teach our little school children to belittle God and to beg and pray for selfish favors from the Almighty, from the Just and Wise One. For Shame!

            Prayer is an attempt to escape reality. It is an attempt to lose oneself in a make believe world. Prayer is an attempt to set one's responsibility aside and let "George" do it. Prayer is giving up. It is sticking one's head in the sand. At its best prayer is an exercise in futility. At its worst prayer steals away the ability of the mind to think honestly and logically and makes mental slaves out of men. Prayer is the seedbed of gambling and religion. Prayer is the hope of getting something for nothing.

            Think of the posture of prayer. The eyes must be closed. The head must be bowed and if you do it right, you get on your knees. This is the position of the slave or captive. This is the position that all dictators and religious leaders wish their followers to assume. Man is not a captive or slave! At least he is not if he doesn't wish to be. Is the captive position what you really wish to teach your children? And there are now those who would like to see prayer made mandatory in our public schools. For Shame! For Shame!

PRAYER IS LIKE TRYING TO LIFT YOURSELF UP

BY TUGGING ON YOUR SHOE STRINGS.

The prayer most prayed by Christians down through the ages is called the Lord's Prayer. It was commissioned by Jesus, so the Bible says. I will quote a portion of it here.

            Our father who art in heaven
            Hallowed be thy name,
            Thy kingdom come,

            Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
            Give us this day our daily bread.

            This prayer has been prayed for more than three thousand years and for billions of times by Christians as well as by the Persians. This prayer was an old Mithraic prayer copied from the Egyptians hundreds of years before the time of Jesus and the early church. Why then has the kingdom not come? Does it take God three or four thousand years to answer a prayer? Men have been begging God all of that time for him to send his kingdom. There has probably not been a single day in all of these thousands of years when some believers did not pray this prayer on earth.

            But if God would answer any prayer, he should have answered this one. It is claimed Jesus ordered Believers to pray this prayer. Has God answered this prayer? It does not seem so to me as I watch TV, listen to the radio, read the newspaper and search the Internet. But maybe God has answered this prayer. Maybe God's will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. If that is so, God must have a very vicious and warlike nature and will. Since we know nothing about heaven, we cannot check to see if heaven has the same warlike hostilities that God wills us here on earth. Actually, it seems to me, God has Not answered this prayer, or any others. I am afraid if there is a God, he shuts out all the evidence of man's stupidity and gullibility. God Must be too wise and too just to pay attention to the weary and dreary begging of self deluded, gullible, believing people.

            Think of all the Christians who have starved to death in the past. Some of the Christians of Europe and the Middle East killed thousands of other Christians. Even today, Christians starve when they are lost or snow bound. Probably no Christians prayed the Lord's Prayer harder or more sincerely than those in backward countries who were starving to death. This does not take into account the billions who have gone through life hungry and undernourished. They pray this prayer and continue to starve.

            If the prayer Jesus taught us to pray carries no weight with God, what weight can we give our own selfish concoctions that we daily speed off toward the Almighty and the Celestial Realm?

            In another place talking about prayer, Jesus is reported to have said, "Ask and it will be given you; seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh, receiveth and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened." (KJV)

            I ask this simple question. Do you believe that? Do you believe any God could be so foolish, or so devilish that he would make such a rash and stupid promise? Do you believe anyone in his sane mind believes that statement made in the Bible and attributed to Jesus? Do you believe a person can simply ask God for health, wealth, happiness or anything else and he will receive it? That is, he will receive it as a result of his prayer and the supernatural intervention of God, thus causing the disruption of the natural fabric and order of the universe? I doubt any sane person really believes such a statement is true. I further doubt any sane person Can believe it. A sane person knows better.

            With all the emotional energy being spent on the controversy over prayer, has anyone stopped to think logically about it?

            We see an all-just God simply could not answer any prayer that was not his own original just plan. In addition, we see that any attempt to get God to act differently than he originally planned to act, is an attempt to blackmail, bribe or Tempt God. Any attempt to change God's mind is to insult and belittle God and proves the beggar Does Not Trust His God to do what is right and just and best.

            Anyone who says He can change God's mind is a fraud and liar. Anyone who says you can change God's mind is telling an untruth and is not worthy of being accepted as truthful. Besides, would you really wish to worship a God whose mind could be changed back and forth from his perfect wisdom and justice and be made to do what some selfish begging Tom, Dick or Jane asked him to do? Or would you even wish to change God's mind from his perfect plan for you by your own begging? If you are honest, I think not.

            If you have been a religious beggar isn't it time to stop belittling and insulting your God? Let him know you trust him. Stop asking him to give you something for nothing! If you are religious, why not trust your God to do what is right and just? Stop trying to run the world for him.

            Somebody (no one knows who) wrote that God himself said, we should ask him for what we want and if we have enough faith, he will give it to us. God didn’t say that! God is too wise to say that. He is too just to say that. As a matter of fact, a Just God could never have even thought it. Somebody fibbed about God. Somebody was confused about what constitutes God's wisdom, morality and justice. I am defending God’s wisdom and justice here.

            However, an Unjust God, entity, or spirit might say that. If so, then the religions and believers might be controlled by an Unjust Power. Think carefully about that as you read the rest of this book. "By their fruits shall you know them!" By their hatreds, prejudices, bigotries, lies, self-importance and murders shall you know them! Does that shoe fit the feet (or feats) of any religion or government today?

            Prayer is a deceptive superstition that says a person can get something for nothing if he will just beg long enough and hard enough. Prayer is an exercise in non-thinking. Prayer, as presented to us in the Bible, is an exercise in slavery-hood. Prayer is a lie. Prayer belittles any Almighty, Just God. Prayer is a Sin!

            Now those wonderful folks, who gave us the dark ages, the Inquisition and a flat earth wish to teach our children in public schools to correct God’s mistakes and to beg something for nothing. That is not religion! That is not healthy. That is not honesty. That is simply ignorance and superstition. It is wrong. I am against it. All honest and sane people will also be against it. Why should we dupe our children with falsehoods? Let us teach them at least Some of the Truth.

            As I said in the first paragraph of this chapter: Prayer is a religious Belief. To the Clear Thinker, it is the most illogical and unbelievable belief taught by religion. The concept of a begging prayer to a just and good God goes against all the teachings about all the Gods in all the religions. The teachings in the holy books tell the believer who God is, what his attributes are and what he does. Yet the concepts and claims of prayer dispute all of those claims made about the attributes of all the Gods in all the holy books.

            If the claims for prayer are true, then the claims about the Good, Just Gods in the holy books are false. You can have prayer, or you can have a Good and Just God. You cannot have both!

PICK ONE!

            Let me use a metaphor here to illustrate the use of gullibility to control people. “Let’s Pretend” that the Devil is a reality and is at war with God, as the Bible declares. This may also help us decide which God it was that wrote the Bible. What would he tell us about his plans to take over the earth and the people in it? What strategy would he use? Much of that strategy is mapped out in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. I have collected these plans and claims together from the prophecies in the Bible and formed them into this very real possibility (if the Bible is telling us the truth). Listen to his plan.

“First, I would establish several diverse religions (so competition would be assured). I would work a few tricks (miracles) and give sets of moral rules to be followed. These claims, commandments and promises, would insure the making of Mental Slaves out of all my followers. I would offer eternal life (which I can't do, but no one can prove me wrong). I would offer it to those who follow my religions and my instruction. I would demand total belief in my religions. For those who did not believe in one of my religions, or honestly doubted and checked up on my claims, I would promise death (one way or another). That gets rid of Clear Thinkers because they are a lot of trouble and can foil my plans. I cannot let the people get too smart, they could resist me.”

“I would give different teachings to my different religions so no one religion could become dominant. Wars would be assured and ignorance and superstition would reign. I would continue to work a few tricks (miracles) from time to time, give prophesies about my later coming, answer a few prayers here and there and cause some distress and suffering on earth to prepare my welcome as their Savior.”

“Then, when the time was right, I would come down with all my angels from the sky. I would come in such a manner that everyone would know that I was here and that I keep my promises - I have come. I would accompany this with great fanfare and signs (like stopping earth's electrical functions for a week). I would take over, declaring myself to be their savior or god. I would promise them a thousand years of prosperity and peaceful living if they do what I say. All earthlings would then become my slaves, factory workers, farmers and so forth.”

Does this sound impossible? Think again! It is no more fictional than the claims made by present day Christianity about that other God who wrote a book. (Of course, we are not sure Which God wrote the book.) And this possibility is just as Rational as the other claims in the Bible.

            Some will say, "But God would not allow that to happen." Wait a minute! Nature has given us a Brain (a fairly good one) to take care of any such situations that may arise. If we ignore our ability to Honestly Think, we are turning our backs on the best defense that has been given to us. Brains not bombs are our best defense. Morality not mayhem is our offence. Honesty, not religion, is our best and only offence and our defense.

            Now, if there Is something (or someone) out there hearing and answering prayers and running our chores for us (as some insist), it is Not the Good or Just God. It could not be a good or just or all-powerful God for the reasons just explored. If it is not a good and just God answering our prayers, who or what is doing this? I want no part of it.

            If someone other than a just and good God is answering prayers and working wonders, what do they want from you in return? My guess is that they want you! They want to add you to their army of slaves to take over the rest of mankind. They will set up a dictatorship. Confinement and death will be the punishment for nonbelievers (Honest Clear Thinkers). So, I advise all believers, mystics, spiritualists, mediums and such, be very careful how much trust and belief you put in these religious claims and promises. You play with fire you get burned. New Agers you better be careful! Don't let anything or anyone into your mind through hypnosis or meditation until you are very sure who or what it is that wishes to control you. Don't ever think you can control them. You can't. Only Honest Doubt, Clear Thinking and Morality can protect you from these false, unjust, harmful claims and concepts and maybe - realities.

            There Are prayers that we can pray, which are to our benefit. If our prayers are never heard by any Power, these prayers are heard by the mind and subconscious (and maybe super conscious) of the one who makes them. Hearing our own prayers, we may be more careful with our lives. We may have mental powers not yet realized. We may even find ourselves answering our own prayers. Try praying some of the prayers taught to us by Apollonius (Pol of Tyana). Or make up your own.

            "Give me my just due."

            "Let me do only those things which are good for me and good for man."

            "Let righteousness rule my life and justice rule my thoughts."

            "Teach me the Good and help me shun the evil.”

            "Let me possess all that I need."

            "Withhold from me all that would corrupt and confuse my life."

            "Open my eyes that I might see the good, the just and the honest."

            "Let me have little but let me need nothing."

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SIX OF MY OWN PRAYERS HERE.

            "Help me never to seek something for nothing."

            "If I do, help me never to get it."

            "Grant that I may find a new truth today."

            "Help me not do to others what I would have them not do to me.”

            “Let me leave my part of the earth better than I found it.”

            "Let me meet today a kindred spirit that we may rejoice together."

            Prayer, as taught by the old religions and the modern religions, is a harmful Lie. Prayer is foisted upon mankind and kept before us to dull our brains and make us slaves to the religious and political powers that be. The secret to the success of the unholy church is first, the gullibility of people, which is another way of saying people cannot, or will not, Think. Second, the success of the unholy church is their Brain Washing Ability.

            Prayer is religion’s most deceitful and successful brain washing technique that it has inflicted upon mankind. To fall for the Lie of prayer is to leave one's mind open to be captured and to be placed in religious and political servitude.

Prayer is a social and personal Sin against God.

            The church can take your child and make a mental slave of him in four years or less. Is that what you want for your children? Let us examine brain washing next.

Next: Captive Mentality

INDEX