How quaint that we open each session of Congress with prayer. This time Jerry Falwell’s son opens in prayer:
I’m all for people praying in private groups, but I don’t understand why in our secular government we are still opening in prayer to some guy who might have lived 2,000 years ago.
(via)
Hold on, isn’t that illegal?
Screw the rules, I have the majority.
All Your Base Are Belong To Us.
GWB? How you been? ;)
They really need to cut that shit out.
I’m cringing AND wincing at the same time!
Praying to an imaginary sky friend doesn’t seem to have helped them get anything done (or have kept any of them from being philandering, hypocritical, idiotic wastrels).
Well I guess no one can complain because they all pretty much claim to be Christians to get elected right? So theoretically everyone there believes in God right? Isn’t this video just signs of the symptoms of congress pandering to christians? I think the real issue here is that they feel the need to pretend to have a religious affiliation to be elected at all. The fact that xtians buy up there obviously insincere pandering is also frustrating.
I think if we adress the real problem by calling these peoples insincerities out support people that don’t let a book they’ve never actually read influence there policies. (does anyone actually read the bible?)
Apparently not–
Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
You are so right! I read something about Christ criticizing the Pharisees for mouthing prayers in public so that everyone would witness their “righteousness”! I wonder if these people are so lacking in their so called “faith”, that they do this to convince themselves that they “believe”. It reminds me of young teens who have to “demonstrate their true love” for each other by making out passionately in public places constantly ha ha! Unfortunately, the politicians are doing something far more offensive to our country than innocent teens trying out their “commitment” skills! I just find it so offensive that the America that I grew up in has been overrun by delusional fanatics that think nothing of trampling on the Constitution for their own prideful and self serving agenda. These folks have the most twisted and selfish concept of spirituality. Their defense is always one of being “persecuted” for their beliefs. Their condescending, finger pointing attitude towards people in need, people of color and people who’s lifestyle differs from their arrogant interpretation of the Bible should be kept out of the government! They spew out more propaganda than all of the Socialist governments that they claim to be against. The difference between these lost souls and citizens of socialist countries is that in those other countries, they take care of people who are mentally ill. In our country, they become influential millionaires and get to discriminate against who ever doesn’t see things their way. STOP giving all the money to faith based orgs. The religious right does NOT always abide by the rules( lets face it, they are not enforced) in place to keep them from abusing the power those funds allow them. Oh, yeah- their defense is that they are “forced” to let the government tell them what to do. How lame is that? The only thing that I’ve seen the government “force” them to do in the last 8 years, is to submit to prosecution for killing those who don’t agree with them. When was the last time that you heard about one of them coming to that kind of harm for their “beliefs” ? Even when they murder people, their “followers” are there in ample numbers to support this. How can anyone this crazy even get into the government ? I feel like I’m having a really bad nightmare ! Is this really the United States? It’s worse than a nightmare because I will not wake up tomorrow to find that the cult of lunatics that are influencing our government have been restored to thinking, rational human beings.
In other countries they take care of the mentally ill. In the United States the mentally ill run the country and that is why we are in so much trouble.
@Question…One’s “inner room” or “closet” is not a physical location…but from within. Think “upper room” experience. Man is a multi-dimensional being though he knows it not.
If man does not know it, then how do you know it? Are you claiming to not be a man now?
Matthew 6:6
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
John C,
When I first started reading UF and your comments I had thought that you were deluded. But then, for a short time only, I began to think that maybe, just maybe, you might be on to something. But, in short order, I realized your writings were not those of a mystic ( as you and others on this blog have called you), but nothing more than the fantasical rantings of a spiritual romantic. Yeah, I say that you’re not a mystic (there are no real mystics, it’s all in their head), but only a deluded romantic. One who writes about the way he imagines he would like things to be, and interpret the bible the way he wished it to be, how it could be if only… That would be all well and good if you just kept it to yourself. But no, you have to spread your non-sense as if by doing so it will become more of a reality. Reality is reality is reality is reality. No matter how sweetly and beautifully you write out BS, it’s still BS.
I guess what had inspired me make this comment is your inference that the above quote has some hidden meaning in it that has been revealed to you and not to the rest of us unenlightened ones. I assure you that the above quote is surely one of the literal quotes of the bible, that absolutely, positively, unquestionably, without a doubt, obviously has no hidden or unrevealed meaning except (maybe?) in your deluded head. I have promised myself that I’ll never be swayed again by any of your well thought out, often beautifully written, deceptively innocent spittal.
Why deceptively innocent? Because I suspect that on some level you know your full of sh*t.
John, the point that Matthew is making there is that prayer is personal, not public. It does not matter how literally he means “room,” the fact is that he is denouncing public prayer.
There’s a minute and twenty seconds that I’ll never get back……fffffpppppplllkkkkssstt.
It’s a lot of specious hot air, and I find it offensive. Do you think they would invite an atheist to step up to the podium like that and offer a statement in lieu of a prayer? Do they invite persons of non-Christian religious affiliations to come and pray? Last time I checked, USA was not a Theocracy, but as far as I can tell, the Christians are doing their best to make it become one. Scary stuff!
Do they invite persons of non-Christian religious affiliations to come and pray?
Actually, they do this all the time.
I remember a bunch of crazies interrupting a Senate opening prayer from a Hindu priest a few years back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8vENZwp1rk
But yeah they do try and have all different kinds of religious figures deliver some sort of prayer or statement before Congress and all that.
The commentaries in that YouTube video – the one about the Hindu prayer – depress me immensely.
there is actual no official separation between church and state, sadly, it is only vaguely implied in the 1st amendment.
If you are saying that there is no black letter law constitutional separation of church and state, you are basically right. However, it is definitely not the case that there is no functional separation in the law. The process that most closely controls issues of separation is the tripartite Lemon Test, from the U.S. Supreme Court case Lemon v. Kurtzman 403 U.S. 602 (1971).
Hey, Daniel, do linky “a” tags no longer work?
They do, you probably just did something incorrectly. :)
Let me give it another shot.
Lemon v. Kurtzman 403 U.S. 602 (1971)
Well, that certainly prohibits prayer at the beginning of congress, especially prayer to a specific god like Jesus.
That’s because our government isn’t secular. Christian fasc-…I mean fundamentalists don’t care about the US Constitution when they take over.
So when comes the muslim guy to pray?
Hey Daniel, Obviously I’m in disagreement with you on this one, but I saw you had a blog when you commented on my site, and I must say, you have a very nice looking blog. Good job.
Thanks! Just curious, why do you think our government should start in prayer? What about those who are Muslim and Jewish and who don’t believe in Jesus? What about us atheists and agnostics? We’re American too, and we believe in freedom of religion. Why not just skip the prayer and get to business? Churches are for prayer, not Congress.
Right on ^
“…still opening in prayer to some guy who might have lived 2,000 years ago.”
Except the ONE time they let a Hindu say the invocation, and the people of our supposedly pluralistic country flipped the f**k out!
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism1.htm
This seriously disgusts me. I even hate the fact we have “In God We Trust” on our currency.
And plenty of other places as well. Worse, “under God” is now in the pledge of allegiance.
It won’t be long before they build giant statues of the ten commandments for court buildings. Oh . . . wait . . .