Is that...Joey, from that show with the Olsen twins? Freaky.

Anyway, there is a real problem with Buddhism being a religion. It wasn't supposed to be. The Buddha himself was as close to an atheist in that day and age as you could probably find. Praying to the gods would not get you closer to enlightenment, because even though they were gods, they too were stuck in the same cycle of reincarnation. Plus, if you prayed to them, you'd be asking for things which simply reinforced your state of self, thus continuing your suffering.

Quick background of the legend for those who don't know the origins of the Buddha:

Siddartha Gautama was born into the ruling caste in India. As a young man he was your typical spoiled child of high rank. One day while travelling the road from his home to somewhere or another he was exposed to how the other half lived, he witnessed old age, disease, and death, and they bothered him. His father responded by giving him every pleasure he could possibly hope for-- food, music, comforts, women. Yet, with all that he couldn't stop thinking about his own eventual death, and those of others. His current lifestyle was obviously not the way to go.