pray for me? christopher hitchens? ... by christopher hitchens

on the washington post.

'the deity whose intercession is being implored is claimed to be omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. it is fully aware of the situation. it can make me a believer if it chooses, or wave away my carcinoma. why should it be swayed by the entreaties of other sinners? my provisional conclusion is that those who practice incantations are doing so as much for their sake as mine: no harm in that to be sure and likely to produce just as much of a result.'

succinctly, here.