The CCLU attorney did agree to write a letter to the newspaper's manager urging him to accept my ad in the interest of fairness, but that letter was ineffective. In particular, there was no space for me to explain why I believe prayer is not only ineffective but also harmful. The belief in prayer appeals to people's weaknesses and tends to prevent them from accepting responsibility for their own success or failure. Even people who agree with me that prayer is useless question why I feel so compelled to petition against it. But prayer is not just a harmless waste of time for those who choose to practice it.
Prayer is harmful when people use it instead of going to a doctor.
Prayer is harmful when people use it instead of hard work, logic, and common sense to find a better job or otherwise improve their lives. Prayer, when combined with using grocery money to buy lottery tickets, is particularly damaging. In a nutshell, prayer offers false hope, and diverts people's attention from what they really should be doing to succeed in life. If prayer actually worked, everyone would be a millionaire, nobody would ever get sick and die, and both football teams would always win. Saying prayer works is the same as saying that wishful thinking alone can solve problems.