Praying to the Ass

Japanese proverb says   
Even the head of a sardine can be a charm against evil if you believe in it.鰯の頭も信心から.
Recent environmentalism seems to be such a thing. In the last part of "thus spoke Zarathustra" the superior humans are praying and speak to the ass. This may be a ridiculous but humorous trap which anybody might fall into. The Ektenia is prayed to the ass by them in "thus spoke Zarathustra"but the ass in response brayed only Yea-Ah every time.
 Well, this word"ass"is often used as an obscene meaning. I don't know where this meaning derived from at all. So,if someone say "praying to the ass", he might be looking in the wrong direction.