Reply #18: Personally, I don't see anything wrong with praying

[shimmergal]

for specific things. It just gives a slight extra push if deity wants events to go that way anyhow. If not, is it likely to have any effect we should worry about?

Of course, I'm not a clergy person, so don't feel obligated to have an elevated concept of the purpose of prayer!

What IMO is very wrong, though, is praying in public for something specific like that ("getting the teachers to end the strike") to happen. Or even praying it in front of anyone else whom you might influence. Deity can make up his/her/its mind whether a prayed wish is valid or not. A mere human, however, may be more susceptible to moral coercion. Especially if such words come from a minister's lips; that's pulling rank, or playing dirty pool. Or if not, it certainly comes across that way.