• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Margie ClaymanMargie Clayman

Marietta, OH

  • About Me
  • Marketing
  • Librarianship
  • Random Musings
  • Contact Me

Book Review: Never Pray Again

May 27, 2014 by Margie Clayman 4 Comments

Screen shot 2014-05-25 at 11.19.51 AMWhen I was a pretty little kid, I got a beautifully illustrated children’s version of the Bible. Although my family was not religious and I have never been religious in a traditional sense, that Bible got me interested in learning more about Judaism, Christianity, and then many other religions and spiritual perspectives.

As I got integrated into public school starting in fifth grade, I was around a lot of peers who went to church every Sunday and then acted like total, well, not nice people the other days of the week. They were bullies, they ostracized others, and more. I remembered a passage I had read where Jesus tells his disciples that he did not want them to build extravagant temples. He didn’t want people to get so bogged down in ritual that thy forgot what they were actually supposed to be doing. I often wondered how that passage could cross my mind so often as a non-religious person yet be missed by so many people who claimed religious fervor. I figured I’d never really get an answer. Then all of a sudden, a college friend of mine said, “Hey, I’ve co-authored a book with two other ministers. Would you like to give us edits after doing a pre-reading?” The book was Never Pray Again, and it validated everything I had been thinking about organized religion for pretty much my entire life.

Don’t get me wrong though. Never Pray Again is not a manifesto in the classical sense. As a marketer much of my work involves making sure there is a “call to action.” You don’t just want to drive people to your website, you want to also tell them what to do once they get there. Buy this product, go to this page, etc. Never Pray Again highlights problems and inconsistencies, but the authors also suggest solutions, many of which are derived from the same Biblical source they reference every Sunday with their congregations.

The overriding “call to action” of Never Pray Again is very simple. Unfold your hands and get to work. What does that mean, exactly? It means if you see a poor person, don’t mouth a silent prayer to God that that person will eventually find food and shelter. Help them find it. It means that instead of hoping the world will get better and hoping your own life will get better just because you go to church every Sunday, you should go out into the world and try to make things better. The authors suggest you should get up and go because through Jesus God demonstrated that is how He wants things done. Jesus didn’t show up and say, “Gosh, I hope those people suffering from leprosy get better soon. God, do something about that.” He went out there and did the work himself.

Although the book’s backdrop is obviously the Christian faith, the wisdom inherent in the book applies to anyone of any faith, or even those who do not ascribe to any particular edict. Whether you pray or whether you just hope that things work out, there is another option, and that is to go out there and help things work out. The book is filled with examples of how to do just that.

Some of what this book has to say may challenge you if you are a devout Christian, but understand that this is not an attack on Christianity or you. It is rather a recommendation that everyone, Christian or not, can do a better job of living out what all of the great wisdom in the world has said for eternity. Be good to each other. Treat others as you would be treated. You will reap what you sow.

You can order this book (and I highly recommend that you do) from Chalice Press. Let me know what you think!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danny says

    May 27, 2014 at 8:10 am

    Ora et Labora, sounds like a good read. Will read it 🙂

    Reply
  2. DouglasHagler says

    May 28, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    Thank you very much for the review, and for you preceding help. I’m glad you liked our book!

    Reply
  3. oakley110 says

    February 6, 2015 at 2:23 am

    http://www.sac-burberry-pascher.fr/, http://www.airjordanpas-cher.fr/, http://www.canada-goose-jackets.ca/, http://www.nike-airmax.nl/, http://www.moncler-online-shop.de/, http://www.monclerjacketsoutlet.net/, http://www.michaelkorsoutlet-store.in.net/, http://www.vans-scarpe.it/, http://www.oakleysunglasses.jp.net/, http://www.air-jordanshoes.com/, http://www.nike-airmax-pas-cher.fr/, http://www.michaelkors-outlet-online.us.com/, http://www.uggs–canada.ca/, http://www.borse-gucci.it/, http://www.ugg-australia.it/, http://www.soccerjerseys.com.co/, http://www.oakleyglass.in.net/, http://www.coachpurse.in.net/, http://www.juicycoutureoutlet.com.co/, http://www.poloralphlauren-pascher.fr/, http://www.nikefree-running.co.uk/, http://www.louisvuittonoutlet-online.org/, http://www.asicso.com/, http://www.valentino-shoes.net/, http://www.christian-louboutin.me.uk/, http://www.occhiali–oakley.it/, http://www.doudoune-monclerpascher.fr/, http://www.reebok-outlet.in.net/, http://www.lululemon-outlet-canada.ca/, http://www.ugg-pas-cher.fr/, http://www.raybansunglass.in.net/, http://www.uggs-outletboots.in.net/, http://www.nikeair-max.fr/, http://www.coachoutlet.jp.net/, http://www.converse-pas-cher.fr/, http://www.p90x-workout.us.com/, http://coachofficialsite.blog.com/, http://www.ray–ban.it/, http://www.rayban–sunglasses.in.net/, http://www.true-religion-jeans.in.net/, http://www.nike-roshe-run.fr/, http://www.replica–watches.me.uk/, http://www.nike-freerun.com/, http://www.katespade-handbags.in.net/,

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Are You Guys Anti-Church? | Two Friars and a Fool says:
    June 3, 2014 at 8:04 am

    […] may not be anti-church, but we are thrilled that our book has received some positive reviews from people who identify as non-religious. We agree that you can be good without God. Perhaps we […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Are You Guys Anti-Church? | Two Friars and a Fool Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Post: « Book Review: The Peacemakers by @thebrandbuilder
Next Post: Your Chance to Make a Difference -#Stand4theManinBlack »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Seeing Double: African American Literature
  • Book Review: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
  • Book Review: Land of Lincoln, by Andrew Ferguson
  • The portrayal of the infertile woman in entertainment
  • Chapter 3: A Weird Thing Happened Today

Recent Comments

  • Delores Baskerville on Are you locking out blog subscribers?
  • frank c tripoli on Book Review: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
  • Lyv on #30Thursday number 10 (we’re in the double digits?!?)
  • Fitoru on New Recipes, 2013
  • Anna Wyatt on Help me petition to deactivate driver-side airbags for Little People

Archives

  • February 2021
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2017
  • October 2016
  • July 2016
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • June 2007
  • April 2007

Categories

  • Book Reviews
  • Crafts and Charity
  • Gardening for Renters
  • Marketing Talk
  • Molly Maggie McGuire
  • Musings
  • PassionPlayers
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Footer

marjorie.clayman@gmail.com

   

Margie Clayman © 2021