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THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
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amounts to waste of time pure and simple, notwithstanding the sense of relief which arises in some cases of fervent praying. There is no such thing in Nature anywhere as a department for receiving and disposing of the countless millions of unreasonable, impious and self-contradictory prayers which are poured forth daily by the human race. How could any one-even a God-constitute himself the Superintendent-in-charge of what might be called an universal Prayer Bureau, and yet remain happy? We have seen that ananda (bliss) is altogether inconsistent with such actions. Besides, if there be an all-wise Ruler of the Universe, and he an omniscient God, how could he be influenced by our prayers? It would be monstrous to imagine that our suffering and wants have to be repeatedly brought to his notice before he might be expected to move in the matter, and yet our constant praying cannot mean aught else. An omniscient Ruler Divine must be further presumed to know all that is to happen in the future, and, consequently, to have a fixed creative purpose and scheme of governance of the world, from which it would be vain for anybody to endeavour to draw him away. Moreover, a being who is also described as a loving Father must further be deemed to grant as much as he can prudently give to his starving and otherwise needy children, without waiting to be pestered by them with petitions of appeal for his help. And if that be so, why pray at all ?
The truth is that prayer is an indication of a lapse from rationalism, for science and prayer are hostile to one another, so that the latter begins where the former, or rather our individual knowledge concerning it,
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