He thinks he's going to heaven!

So, earlier I was scanning over Facebook posts and this one jumped out at me (cut and pasted as written):

I think it's amazing that the people who claim to be atheist have so many books on their FB to try to disprove christianity! It really only need ONE book... the BIBLE! Sounds to me like you're still searching, There is always hope., I'll pray for you this night!

 My first thought was to make a smart ass comment, like "My bad, I forgot to take those down!" or "I don't have any books on my FB book that are trying to disprove Christianity, but I'm still pretty certain there's no God. LOL!" Then, I was like fuck it, I don't want to get involved in an endless back and forth with the Christian god vs no Christian god thing, especially with someone I went to high school with. Plus, people are free to post whatever they like on their FB page, I do it all the time. However, I am curious about religious people's need to pray for other people - people in need, people who have died, people who are atheists, world peace, etc. I'm not really sure what they think is going to be accomplished by prayer? If prayer is the basis of someone's faith or an expression of it, then they must be pretty damn disappointed most of the time.

I'm reminded of these bits from Mark Twain's satirical masterpiece Letters From Earth: 

This is a strange place, and extraordinary place, and interesting. There is nothing resembling it at home. The people are all insane, the other animals are all insane, the earth is insane, Nature itself is insane. Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at is worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the "noblest work of God." This is the truth I am telling you. And this is not a new idea with him, he has talked it through all the ages, and believed it. Believed it, and found nobody among all his race to laugh at it.

Moreover -- if I may put another strain upon you -- he thinks he is the Creator's pet. He believes the Creator is proud of him; he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes, and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to Him, and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea? Fills his prayers with crude and bald and florid flatteries of Him, and thinks He sits and purrs over these extravagancies and enjoys them. He prays for help, and favor, and protection, every day; and does it with hopefulness and confidence, too, although no prayer of his has ever been answered. The daily affront, the daily defeat, do not discourage him, he goes on praying just the same. There is something almost fine about this perseverance. I must put one more strain upon you: he thinks he is going to heaven!