h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The purpose of the pyramids was not to worship gods, but to bury pharoahs. Of course you could argue that, since pharoahs were viewed as living (o,r once in the pyramid, dead) gods, the pyramids were, in a sense, built to worship gods.
Also, since giving up chocolate (or any other pleasure) for Lent is entirely voluntary (there is not the least compulsion or directive providing for it), one has only oneself to blame if he or she must do without; other alternatives (again, not compulsory) are to do some kind of sacrifice of time - such as extra chores, good deeds, etc. So moaning about it is certainly self-reproach at best. Besides, I could do without a whole lot of leaven before I could give up my chocolate!
The best alternative is Atheism which means giving up praying and blaming some big kahuna for your misfortunes or 'blessings'. And of course giving up the solace of imagining you can somehow manipulate the random forces that are fate into kiboshing your neighbor instead of yourself, after which you can give TV interviews proclaiming that your survival proves there is a god.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the reason the Israelites wandered for 40 years was not that they were lost, but that they were being punished for being afraid of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. The way I remember it, the PL was "found" fairly early in the trek, and some spies were sent in. They came back reporting the richness of the land. However, the natives were big and strong, so all but two of the spies suggested running away. The people agreed.(Those two spies were the only ones of that generation allowed to enter the Promised Land.)