Your rationale is refreshing Oneironaut and sorely needed.

Growing up in Church I eventually came to the conclusion that since the conversation was one-sided in prayer, what was the use of begging God for things, (which is pretty much all prayer consisted of, besides the grandiose, ornate ones intended for the congregation to hear). God is going to do what he's going to do and I'm in no position to change his mind or talk him out of it.

But your rationality about such matters, which would apply so perfectly to machines, physics, computers and such, gets muddled up in the human equasion. Science is saying now that our psyches are hardwired for religion and it's something that's probably not going to go away. From a scientific/Darwinian perspective it must have some value as a survival mechanism or it would have passed out of existence in the natural order of things.

The human psyche is very fragile. (read a few posts on here if you desire some proof of that fact) It craves stability and yearns for some kind of hope. I've discovered through experience that the secret to happiness is being able to trust the 'Universe'.--God's in his heaven and all is well." This may or may not be so, but in the midst of all this maddness the world throws at us, some how, in some form we need that psychological anchor to hold on to just to keep on keepin' on.

Even the most logical thinkers/skeptics cling to something-science, the this-therefore-that of philosophy, the church of academics-to the point of zealously and dogmatically defending their beliefs with a foaming lather. Just check out the good professor in the link to 'Root of All Evil' on another thread. He's not trying to investigate or learn, he's out to pick a fight-to defend his own faith.

So, yes I would say prayer has it's place-if for nothing else as an emotional and pyschological safety valve in a hostile and uncertain universe.

And who knows, maybe God is listening--(oh, for those of you who actually hear him talking back, ask him a question for me- 'why nipples on men?')
Hamlet Reviewed by Hamlet on . Ever prayed to God? Well, have you? Rating: 5