Something seems wrong about prayer

On the front page of the Daily Herald on Jan. 2, there was an article stating that "U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, a Plano Republican, will help lead a prayer service Wednesday in Washington, D.C." with other elected officials.

The invitation to the service says they will be "seeking the blessing and wisdom of our Creator."

This seems very curious: a group of lawmakers getting together, using some sort of ritual, to try to invoke a deity to "do" some action.

If this god exists somewhere, and it is all loving / all knowing / all powerful ... won't it always know the absolute best course of action to take? Won't the deity already know if it should "bless" and give "wisdom" to these officials?

Wouldn't the deity already have a plan for those lawmakers? For the USA? For the world? If they ask this specific god to do something, wouldn't the outcome of that request either already be part of the perfect plan or not?

If one believes that a deity exists, the idea that it would change its plan, is to imply that the deity was not already going to follow the most perfect course. If this ritualistic request could improve the god's future plans for some group of people, it would mean that the god would not already be planning on following the most correct path.

If a god exists, at the very least, doesn't this make the lawmakers' requests (and all such "request" prayers) seem arrogant?

Colin Barr

Arlington Heights