Invariably, all religions ask people to get down on their knees for the best results

Have you noticed, all major religions prescribe you to get onto your knees when you pray to the Gods? I can’t stop being amused at the thought that all the Gods are masochistic, in the sense, they want you to be servile and be on your knees.

The ritual of praying (not talking about the purpose, as yet) but the formalities involved are appealingly archaic, and to me, quite hilarious. Why does it have to be done in that particular way? Won’t the omnipresent Almighty address your prayers when you remember him, let’s say while you are wasting your time in the bus, or in the toilet? The God created the world, and set out the rules – and I am sure going by all the traits attributed to him, he would not mind you talking to him while you poop.

While this might sound a blasphemy to some of you, all I am asking you is to think with a morsel of gray matter that might reside in your skull. The act, however unnecessary it might be, why does it have to be done the way it is prescribed in some obsolete rule book? Can’t you personalise your God and talk to him whenever and however you want!

Now, the concept of praying (that is, when you think it worked for you), I believe is a kind of boomerang placebo effect: You shift the burden onto the all powerful God, and seek help, losing track of how you ended up in a particular bad state. Now the hope of divine intervention, helps you to irresponsibly stop worrying. And because maybe you worry less, there are chances a particular issue gets resolved. So, when you have a burden, you pass it on to a fictitious person, feel light and sometimes feel more prepared to bear the burden when it comes back to you.

Another bothersome aspect of people praying to a divine entity is the sheer amount of time that has gone in vain. If all that time were focused on working for the betterment of the world, it would be a lot better. Instead of praying to the Gods, go help out someone in need (become their God), or sow a plant daily, or propagate knowledge. Unfortunately, many of the popular God-beings or the prophets set out on spreading knowledge to others, got caught in the ignorance of the masses, who elevated them to the stature of God. I would be very very upset if that happened to me.

While you might argue praying is harmless, you could harm less by not praying to a God, who answers your prayer saying only He is true, while other Gods are pirated versions. Quite silly ain’t all of it. Heh.