Why Prayer is a Waste of Time
By Carl S ~
If you're praying to the god of Islam, Judaism, or Christianity, a.k.a., Jesus’ god, notice that this particular deity is described as all-wise, all-loving, and all-knowing. Ergo, such a being, knowing the past, and future, of necessity cannot will anything other than what is agreeable with "His" nature. Whatever the wishes or necessities of a petitioner, they must be disregarded if they are not the god's will. Whatever is prayed for is redundant, since the best results are already known and unchangeable. Besides, if god is all-knowing, then he already knows what you want, so what’s the point in praying?
Notice in the Christian "Lord’s prayer" that immediately the pray-er establishes a relationship of subservience to the god. In the words, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." No matter what the father-figure deity is asked, he WILL do HIS will. Judaism takes a bargaining relationship, but, ultimately, we know whose will will dominate; and Islam IS utter submission, albeit petitioning for mercy.
Nowhere is this “Thy will be done” more emphatic than in the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Previously, Jesus preached of the all-lovingness of his Father, saying, "What father, if his son ask him for a loaf of bread, would give him a stone?" In the Garden he prays, petitioning this all-loving father to not make him go through tortures unto death. He sweats blood, even, and goes back and asks again to be released from this fate. The entire time, he is met with . . . silence. Finally, he gives up and, bottom line, says, “Well, okay, if it's your will.” WTF? All-wise and all-loving? So what was this "I and the father are one" relationship - what happened? You or I have more "wisdom" than that, but believers will accept it as God's unquestionable will, not noticing that is no better a decision than a sadistic psychopath’s. We are back to theological “reality:” it doesn't pay to pray because the "Mind" has already made his mind up. So, why bother?
Don’t waste your time praying. Use that time to help others.It is maintained that, "All things work for the better good, and the glory of God." All things, for the all-wise, ever-lovin' Daddy. Whatever happens, in the End, it'll turn out for the Best. If people drown, are slaughtered, it’s for Him . . . you got a problem with that? In fact, using that reasoning/justification, you can do "God’s will," by creating wars, terrorism, starving millions, slaughtering innocent men, women, children, because, after all, God will bring the greater good out of evil, will make all things to give himself greater glory. The Twin Towers fell, for the greater good, for the glory of God, as the shouts of "God is great" rang out.
How many of those who perished when the Towers fell prayed that morning, "Deliver us from evil?" How many said those words as everything went up in flames and twisting steel around them? “Thy will be done,” indeed. How many women pray in tears and agony of mind and body every day that their children will not die of starvation and preventable diseases, and yet those children die - by the millions. Did not Jesus say, "If you ask the father ANYTHING in My name, he will give it to you?" Notice that, even when He asked the father in His name, what the upshot was. He probably had a better chance of getting out of a torturous death if he had tossed dice with Pilate for his freedom. At that point, he and his "father" were dead to each other anyway. Just think, a Roman magistrate might have done better pulling strings, or sneaking him out of town. Screw that "wisdom."
Nah, don’t waste your time praying. Use that time to help others. Spend time with those you care about and love. Be a father, wife, brother, sis, whatever, and spread those good feelings around. To pray is to do nothing. Prayer and a quarter will get you 25 cents, U.S. Coin. God doesn‘t do anything; only humans make a difference.
Notice in the Christian "Lord’s prayer" that immediately the pray-er establishes a relationship of subservience to the god. In the words, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." No matter what the father-figure deity is asked, he WILL do HIS will. Judaism takes a bargaining relationship, but, ultimately, we know whose will will dominate; and Islam IS utter submission, albeit petitioning for mercy.
Nowhere is this “Thy will be done” more emphatic than in the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Previously, Jesus preached of the all-lovingness of his Father, saying, "What father, if his son ask him for a loaf of bread, would give him a stone?" In the Garden he prays, petitioning this all-loving father to not make him go through tortures unto death. He sweats blood, even, and goes back and asks again to be released from this fate. The entire time, he is met with . . . silence. Finally, he gives up and, bottom line, says, “Well, okay, if it's your will.” WTF? All-wise and all-loving? So what was this "I and the father are one" relationship - what happened? You or I have more "wisdom" than that, but believers will accept it as God's unquestionable will, not noticing that is no better a decision than a sadistic psychopath’s. We are back to theological “reality:” it doesn't pay to pray because the "Mind" has already made his mind up. So, why bother?
Don’t waste your time praying. Use that time to help others.It is maintained that, "All things work for the better good, and the glory of God." All things, for the all-wise, ever-lovin' Daddy. Whatever happens, in the End, it'll turn out for the Best. If people drown, are slaughtered, it’s for Him . . . you got a problem with that? In fact, using that reasoning/justification, you can do "God’s will," by creating wars, terrorism, starving millions, slaughtering innocent men, women, children, because, after all, God will bring the greater good out of evil, will make all things to give himself greater glory. The Twin Towers fell, for the greater good, for the glory of God, as the shouts of "God is great" rang out.
How many of those who perished when the Towers fell prayed that morning, "Deliver us from evil?" How many said those words as everything went up in flames and twisting steel around them? “Thy will be done,” indeed. How many women pray in tears and agony of mind and body every day that their children will not die of starvation and preventable diseases, and yet those children die - by the millions. Did not Jesus say, "If you ask the father ANYTHING in My name, he will give it to you?" Notice that, even when He asked the father in His name, what the upshot was. He probably had a better chance of getting out of a torturous death if he had tossed dice with Pilate for his freedom. At that point, he and his "father" were dead to each other anyway. Just think, a Roman magistrate might have done better pulling strings, or sneaking him out of town. Screw that "wisdom."
Nah, don’t waste your time praying. Use that time to help others. Spend time with those you care about and love. Be a father, wife, brother, sis, whatever, and spread those good feelings around. To pray is to do nothing. Prayer and a quarter will get you 25 cents, U.S. Coin. God doesn‘t do anything; only humans make a difference.