Monday, September 19, 2005
The Power of Prayer
Even National Prayer Day didn't help Bush's ratings, despite the high hopes of the White House for some serious Power Praying by some of the nation's most god connected religious figures.Seems like none of the different strategies Karl Rove is throwing out there are working very well now, are they.
Your Angry Buddhist cannot help but ponder the mysteries and mechanics of prayer as practiced by your Christians and your Muslims.
I'm thinking that any god worth his or her salt - be he Jesus or Allah - just isn't going to fall for any of those "If you just let me survive this plane crash dear lord I will turn my life around and give up the drinking and the gambling, the cheating and the criminal activity..." or "Please god, just let me find my keys and I'll donate $100 to the Salvation Army..." or "God, just help me make this putt and I'll donate half the money I'm gonna win from this skin to the church orphans fund..."
Now I will be the first to tell you that I do not believe in a particular god or even any god at all necessarily.
I've thought about it enough so I'm not going to be shocked into wordlessness if there is some sort of supreme being I get to meet after I shuffle off this mortal coil, but likewise if all that remains is the endless big dirt nap, well let's just say I'm not going to be real let down about all the rewards I thought I'd be enjoying in the afterlife.
I'm not worried a single whit about what's going to happen to me when I die. I'm not even curious about it in any way either. I am in the here and now, baby, not the there and then.
Whatever's going to happen has already happened to every fucking person who ever lived on this planet, so I don't think there's any special frightful shit waiting just for me. In fact, I'm certain of it.
Because I live in fear of no punishment, and because I do not need the threat of a hell to keep me honest or fair or loving or generous, I have no need to believe in a supernatural force who will protect me if I follow the rules, punish me if I dont, and who I can pray to when I want or need something.
And for the record, the Angry Buddhist says that if there were a being who always was, always is and always will be - including the time they spent in human form on earth for a short time - I'm having a hard time thinking he or she would have any interest in using their infinite universal superpowers to fufill the role of SantaGod
SantaGod, who sees you when you're sleeping, when you're awake, when you're good and when you're bad and is keeping meticulous score to tally up your chances of getting your heavenly reward. In fact, if you're going to pray to anyone, you'd be much better off praying to just plain Santa himself since he delivers his rewards annually and you don't have to wait until you're dead-dead-dead to get your payoff gifts.
When your Angry Buddhist ponders it, I'm really quite surprised that our consumer driven captialistic society hasn't already adopted Santa as the true messiah for a most profitable state religion.
He already co-owns Christmas, so he's got that going for him.
And he's a white guy too, which is always a big plus if you're trying to sell something to Americans. But you know... I can't help but think that somewhere down the line someone is going to blow the lid off the whole "Jesus is a sexy looking young white guy" scam.
And I know that most Christians would leave their religion in droves if they were forced to worship a geographically ethnic correct image of their one and only true god and lord, Jesus Christ.
In actuality, the Angry Buddhist says he looked a lot more like this:
Than this:
Now I know that our Praying President would rather you prayed for the poor then actually paid for the poor, but the poor don't need your prayers. They've been getting prayers and praying themselves non stop since the days of slavery and before. The Angry Buddhist says you should think about adding up all those endless hours of prayer upon prayer, upon prayer and think about the tangible good that could have happened if the people praying got up off their knees and did something.
If they bought someone some groceries, helped somebody fix up their house, gave somebody a ride somewhere, or shared some of their wealth.
I propose to you that prayers were invented by rich people as something for the poor and sick and unfortunate to do while their miserable suffering lives exist mostly to serve the ruling class. Prayers were pushed hard by guys in ornately decorated robes who stood behind expensive marble altars holding up pure gold cups full of wine. They were pushed to people who wore rags and lived lives worse than the dogs we keep as pets today.
Prayers are no skin off the nose of the rich. Prayers exist in place of responsibility the way I see it. Praying is easy. Praying requires you to do absolutely nothing except ask somebody else to do it. Praying costs you nothing and delivers nothing.
What a brilliant scam foisted by those that gots theres on them thats got nothing but a wishing and a praying.
And how perfect that they got you down on your knees to do it. Yeah, I'm sure that would be real important to a supreme being, wouldn't it?
Bread when you're hungry, water when you're thirsty, a bed when you're tired, a place to live and raise your family. Those are real things that people need. They don't need your prayers. They don't need you passing the buck to your imaginary friend to do something, because that doesn't do jack shit about their real life problems and needs.
Your Angry Buddhist says unclasp those praying hands and extend them out to help somebody. Get those hands dirty, calloused and beat up from doing the HANDS ON work the people you've been praying for really need.
Get up off your knees, stop whispering and talking to yourself. Open your damn eyes and take a deep breath. Splash some cold water on your face if that's what it takes you wake you out of this stupor and into some kind of action mode.
And if you feel the need to join with others raising your voices in unison to the heavens, then for god's sake, open a fucking window, stick your head outside and yell,
"I'm Mad As Hell and I'm Not Going To Take It Any More!"
Then shut the damn window, get outside into the streets and start making a difference.
Don't worry, I'll be praying for you...
Comments:
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Thanks Sappho.
I did check out your blog and dug it so much I added it to my link list. I'll enjoy reading it regularly.
One point I've thought about since my post. I do in fact know some Christian folks who let their actions speak for their religion. They never preach or try to convert me. They just try to set a rightous example and inspire others through their deeds.
I have total respect for those folks. I just wish there were more of them.
I did check out your blog and dug it so much I added it to my link list. I'll enjoy reading it regularly.
One point I've thought about since my post. I do in fact know some Christian folks who let their actions speak for their religion. They never preach or try to convert me. They just try to set a rightous example and inspire others through their deeds.
I have total respect for those folks. I just wish there were more of them.
Blue Gal found you through Sappho and is linking to you today. Keep the faith.
Blue Gal
http://bgalrstate.blogspot.com
Blue Gal
http://bgalrstate.blogspot.com
By the way Angry, Blue Gal is one of those kind of Christians: the try to be a good example, no preaching or converting kind. Blue Gal lets God do the talking while she tries to do the walking.
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