Roland

I guess we know now why Jesus told His followers to pray in private. They make fools of themselves when they don’t.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times (May 1, 2003), a brouhaha has erupted over the National Day of Prayer in Muncie, Indiana. It would appear that some of the city’s Christians don’t want to play with the other religious kids on the block.

For the past several years, Rev. William Keller, an evangelical minister, has been able to take center stage at the Day of Prayer ceremony held annually on the steps of City Hall. His prayers always ended with the tagline “in Jesus’ name, Amen.” This year, however, leaders of other faiths asked to be allowed to participate in the event, including a Unitarian Universalist minister, a Muslim cleric and a Jewish rabbi. Keller’s reaction? Hell no, man! “I don’t believe in other gods,” he retorted.

To avoid trouble, the city has decided to sponsor a SECOND event that day, one more “ecumenical” and inclusive in nature with people of all faiths being invited to participate. My question is, why should there HAVE to be two events at all? Since when do evangelical Christians get to dictate who will and who will not be able to participate in a public event, held on taxpayer-sponsored property?

And this, I think, leads us to the broader issue of government-sponsored prayer in general. So often we hear of Christians clamoring for the right to lead prayers in public school classrooms, at public school sporting events etc. They never seem to understand the effect such actions would have on large segments of the population who do not share their faith or perhaps have no faith at all. I guess we’re all supposed to just sit back like good little boys and girls, quietly filing our nails, while “the majority” gets to throw its weight around.

The Muncie incident is highly instructive in nature. If we ARE going to allow prayers to occur in such public forums, fundamentalists are going to have to get used to the idea that people of other faiths are going to have to be given an equal opportunity to be heard as well. That means Catholics (with their prayers to Mary), Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Wiccans etc. Perhaps this prohibition against government-sponsored prayer is as much to protect the rights of Christians to determine how they and their children will pray as it is for the rest of us.

I guess Jesus knew what He was talking about all along.

dangin

Of course separation protects christians as much as it protects all the minority faiths, and those of no faith. Freedom of relgion means freedom from religion. You can't have of without from.

Some christians (those currently in power) are too short sighted and egotistical to understand that they may not always be the majority, and separation is their only chance at protection.

hezekiah jones

Hilarious.

"We are praying for our nation, not in the name of the God of Abraham, but in Jesus' name. Other religions can't pray that way, and so they won't be here," said Keller.

Nyah nyah!

Stephen Maturin

Oh, dearie dear. Can't you just feel the agape surrounding you like the jaws of a starving and honked-off shark? Atheistdave posted a link to this article in the other thread. Judging from the photo of Reverend Keller, that "only the good die young" thing holds up nicely in this instance.

Toto

Here's the LA Times article (free registration required):

A Divisive Spirit Reigns Over National Day of Prayer Ceremony

faust

"They are certain their prayers, and theirs alone, will be heard. So they don't see the point of inviting other religious leaders to share the microphone..."

GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Are talking about Fundamentalist Muslims? Christians? FalunGong(sp?), god damnit man! What an unbelievable load of Jesus's sacred crap!!

I can see the thoughts in their heads... "Well, see, it is a free country, so you're allowed to believe in your gods, even though we all know that you're wrong. This is a day of prayer for christians only, at city hall. Since we have the only true faith, it's pointless for you to go up there mumbling and chanting and whatever. Here take this Bible and eat of it you damned heathen mary worshipper."

FUCK THEM! May they be correct about the afterlife and spend it in the most disgusting pits of fiery hell being rear-ended by jesus himself."

sorry. i'm only a little bit angry about this.

ImGod

I have to agree with Eric on this point. However, he may not agree with me that both services at the courthouse are meaningless. Why not hold them at a church somewhere or rent an interfaith neutral site?

faust

l/p dotslash/dotslash

john_v_h

From the LA Times article :
Hmmm ... does he expect the atheist to pray to his not-god? Is this another misguided effort to accommodate the "atheist religion"?

Roland

Absolutely, there is NO reason to hold anything like this on a public site when there are so many churches around. The only porpose is to be PROVOCATIVE!

This is indicative of what we all fear will happen once we start blending church and state like this; those in the "majority" faith will steamroll over everyone else. From there, it's a short path to "theocracy" and the loss of all religious freedoms.