Virtual and automated prayer

Thanks to Rich Shipe for alerting us to Information Age Prayer, a site that will pray your prayers for you–audibly and regularly–for a subscription fee. For $3.95 a day, your computer can recite the Lord’s Prayer for you. It can pray for your child for only $1.99. From the site’s FAQ:

Are the prayers meaningless, will subscribing really make a difference?
As with all prayer, the final results are up to God as everything follows His will. We make no claims regarding the efficacy of the service, however it is our opinion that the omniscient God hears the prayers when they are voiced, as He hears everything on this Earth. The omniscient God knows exactly who has subscribed and who each prayer is from when their name is displayed on screen and their prayer voiced. He is also aware of all donations to charity from each subscriber and we can surely make a difference in these charities supported.

Are prayers blasphemous when voiced by a computer?
We recommend you contact your local clergy for a personal answer, however we think that Information Age Prayer is a new and exciting way to connect with God.

How exactly will my prayer be voiced?
We use state of the art text-to-speech synthesizers to voice each prayers at a volume and speed equivalent to typical person praying. Each prayer is voiced individually, with the name of the subscriber displayed on screen. If the prayer is for someone else, then that name is displayed on screen instead. For more information see our terms of use.

Can I purchase a subscription for a friend or relative?
Yes, simply list their name as the person the prayer will belong to. Start by choosing their religion from the links on the top left. [The choices are Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Unaffiliated, and Other Religions.]

Is it wrong to charge for prayers?
The fees assure our customers that we are the most reliable service provider for Information Age Prayer. While most companies only donate a small portion of profits to charity, Information Age Prayer donates a full 10% of revenue to charity before subtracting  our operating costs. For more information see our terms of use. If you are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and would like us to donate to you see this page. . . .

Can I get a direct Peer to Peer connection with God?
God is not your peer, His connection with you is ever-present. What we offer is a way you can tell God that you think of Him every day with our Information Age Prayer Services.

This reminds me of the medieval practice of hiring monks and nuns to pray for you, which Luther was so irked about. Only now you don’t even need monks and nuns.