fayfreethinkers.com

Lubbock, Texas, plans to pray for rain
LUBBOCK, Texas, July 24 (UPI) -- Public officials in Lubbock, Texas, are organizing a day to pray for rain.

"Nobody is going to tell God what to do and what not to do, but we are in a serious drought in West Texas and since he is the man who controls the rain clouds, we're asking him for his mercy and his help," Mayor David Miller told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The City Council and the Lubbock County commissioners are expected to adopt resolutions this week asking local residents to both pray and fast for rain this Sunday...

Officials have tried prayers before and say they were answered. In January 2004, after a year of drought, the city and county set aside a Sunday to pray for rain and got the second-wettest year since records have been kept.

Read the rest here.

"Nobody is going to tell God what to do and what not to do ..."
... so it's ludicrous to think that telling God what to do or what not to do will have any effect.

Why would such a merciful God put them in the position of needing to ask their merciful God for rain in the first place?

Why would God give a flip about some boneheads in Texas when he doesn't do anything for the really needy?

In the case of praying for rain, it gives people who truly have no control of the situation a vague feeling that they are doing something helpful - at in fact they are doing SOMETHING. Don't ask me why that makes people feel better, but being active - even if just actively praying - always seems to.

As far as god actually doing something about the problem, my mother used to remind me that god spends a whole lot of time watching sparrows fall.