Many sections of America are experiencing a severe drought. The lakes that supply Atlanta with most of its water are drying up. Of course, they are drying up because of insufficient rainfall during the past several months.

Very few politicians are paying any attention to the scientists that keep telling us that we are in a situation of global warming. Of course, the reason we are in a period of global warming is because the earth is overpopulated, and each of us contributes to the pollution of the soil, water and the atmosphere. Just 80 years ago, in 1927, there were 2 billion people on the face of the earth. Now it is estimated there are 6.7 billion people polluting our planet through various means.

President Bush has ignored the pleas from other countries and scientists to take some action to reduce pollution. He seems to believe that his god will resolve all of the problems created by mankind, including his inept invasion of Iraq. Now, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has finally come to grips with the problem, and is intent on resolving the water shortage around Atlanta. He held a prayer vigil at the Georgia state capitol on Nov. 13. Of course, this violates our constitutional laws for the separation of church and state that he swore to uphold when he took the oath of office.

Nonetheless, the media reported there were several hundred in attendance. Considering that Metropolitan Atlanta Area has a population of more than 4 million, a few hundred people in attendance is not a significant number. Maybe there are more people who don't believe in prayer than the religious wrong would like for us to believe.

It is interesting that the governor has waited so long to petition his god for rain. I suspect that he consulted a higher authority concerning the most opportune time to pray for the best probability for rain; that authority being the National Weather Service. Certainly, the longer one waits, the more probable will be the chance of heavy rains. However, when it does rain, the religious wrong will want to attribute the rain to their god answering their prayers. Just bosh!

The governor's tactics are reminiscent of the ancient Mayas, and many other cultures, that have pleaded with their gods for water throughout the evolution of civilization. The December 1975 issue of the National Geographic magazine has a very informative article about the Mayas' religious ritual contrived to persuade their gods to deliver rain. (National Geographic has published additional articles about the Maya civilizations, with the most recent being an exceptional article in the August 2007 issue.)

At least the righteous governor didn't go to the extreme of the ancient Maya culture. Thankfully, humankind has abandoned the idea of exchanging blood for water; but, unfortunately the senseless act of praying to a mythical being is still being practiced in the supposedly enlightened 21st century.

Here is a quote from page 738 in the December 1975 issue of the National Geographic concerning the Mayas' method to entice their gods to send rain; "To function benevolently, the gods required human blood. The Maya sacrificed accordingly. Prisoners of war, perhaps individuals levied from the peasantry, or even some devout volunteers sated the divine appetites. Climaxing an elaborate ceremony, a priest ripped open the victim's breast with an obsidian knife and tore out the still-beating heart.

In addition, priest and pious individuals cut holes in their tongues and drew rope festooned with thorns through the wound to collect blood offerings." There is more, and just as gruesome. Check it out if you wish.

It is obvious that humanity has advanced a little during the past several hundred years, but until science and logic are fully accepted and integrated into our society, the practice of religion is simply a waste of our valuable resources and time. Prayer does not yield any better results than the flipping of a coin, or just remaining silent. Prayer will certainly not yield one drop of water, just as it does not return the dead to life! Science is the logical substitute for prayer.

For the publicity-seeking governor and others that tout their belief that prayers are answered, here is some advice if one feels compelled to pray for rain. We will certainly need a lot of rain to avoid a really severe drought next summer. Now would be a good time for them to remind their god, who supposedly knows everything and has the power to take action to prevent global warming and drought, to replenish the water table now. Remind him now; don't wait until their god has forgotten his subjects' need for water.

However, worldwide overpopulation and the persistent use of fossil fuels during the past 100 years have caused significant modification in atmospheric conditions and weather patterns. There is no instant repair available for the damage that has already been done, so more abnormal weather patterns and water shortages will prevail. Meanwhile, politicians worldwide should heed the advice of scientists, not the religious views of the majority.

Instead of wasting time indulging in an excessive amount of entrainment, such as watching frivolous movies, bogus reality TV shows, commonplace sports and praying, the general population would be better served by studying philosophy history, and science; thus, altering their mindset so that they will make rational and productive decisions that will benefit future generations. Then, and only then, will the majority of mankind realize that a god does not actually exist and is nothing more than the figment of a humans' ineffective imagination.

-- John W. Baxley, Springfield

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