Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Prayer is criticized as asking for special treatment from the universe.
In plain terms
Praying is asking the universe to break rules for one person.
What can you take from it?
Prayer often implies a desire for exceptions to natural laws.

Where it applies

  • critiquing religion
  • discussing fate

Putting it to work

  • accept natural limits
  • question entitlement

Questions to consider

  • What do you expect from prayer?
  • Do rules apply to everyone?

Another view

It ignores spiritual perspectives on prayer.

More from Ambrose Bierce

  1. Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.

    Permalink to quote #70
  2. Quotation, n. The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. The words erroneously repeated.

    Permalink to quote #72
  3. Politeness , n. The most acceptable hypocrisy.

    Permalink to quote #69

Related quotes

  1. The wish to talk to God is absurd. We cannot talk to one we cannot comprehend - and we cannot comprehend God; we can only believe in Him. The uses of prayer ar…

    Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant quote #1
  2. Can a little speck in the vast universe truly address the Infinite? The answer is that Prayer is precisely what converts that little speck into an entity of in…

    Jeffrey CohenJeffrey Cohen quote #2
  3. I believe in the existence of an immaterial God, the Author and Master of all beings and all things, and I feel that I never had any doubt of His existence, fr…

    Giacomo CasanovaGiacomo Casanova quote #6