Some (including the publishers of an American Buddhist magazine) would argue that Buddhism is not a "religion" at all, but rather a "non-theistic philosophy."

As someone with significant interest in, but no real indepth knowledge of, Buddhism, I take this to mean that Buddhists recognize the existence, and indeed the primary imortance, of a spiritual dimension, but they do not believe in petitional prayer or in miracles.

In other words, there is no supernatural personality who will grant your request to be exempted from the hard-and-fast spiritual rules of karma and dharma ~ it's up to you to get yourself aligned with spiritual reality. In other words, in more Weternized and "folkier" language, to "get right with God" ~ not to expect God to do you any special personal favors.