Comedian Flip Wilson on his variety show had a skit character whose catch phrase was, "The debbil made me do it!" This is good comedy, but some people in real life claim that God told them to do some things. This supernatural urging allows people to avoid feeling responsibility for their actions. People can do really horrible things in the name of God, like murdering people who don't share their beliefs. Zen is all, "Chop wood, carry water," "Fill your bellies." It's very concrete. The zen master makes no claim about the afterlife, because he has not experienced it himself. Universal compassion is possible, but is justified by the consequences for you, the loved ones, and society instead of divine command. Love is a force for personality integration. It doesn't need supernatural justification. People need to make decisions about what they will do with their life, so they pray to God. Research has shown that flipping a coin to make a life decision results in similar life satisfaction to more rigorous measures.