Prayer too Christian

[DreamQuickBook]

Prayer too Christian

The ACLU does not challenge the commission's right to pray before meetings, just that the prayers are overly Christian, offending the five plaintiffs.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

From the article

...Cobb County, Robert Quigley..."We ask a variety of different faiths from around our community to participate,"

I guess the ACLU didn't bother to find this out.

 

[DreamQuickBook]

From the article I guess the ACLU didn't bother to find this out.

Well, they aren't interested in facts.

 

[michel]

From the article I guess the ACLU didn't bother to find this out.

Funny that - I was just cutting and pasting the same remark.........

 

[Valjean]

Just how many different faiths are there in Cobb county?

The ACLU is an experienced legal organization. I doubt if they'd squander their resources on a case completely without merit. They've likely got every phrase of every prayer in question logged, cross-referenced and tabulated.

 

[retrorich]

Prayer of ANY KIND should not be allowed in government facilities or at government functions. To do so is a violation of separation of Church and State.

 

[michel]

Prayer of ANY KIND should not be allowed in government facilities or at government functions. To do so is a violation of separation of Church and State.

I wondered how long it would be before someone brought that up............I can sympathise with that sentiment - because I have the ability to see both sides of an argument.

 

[DreamQuickBook]

Prayer of ANY KIND should not be allowed in government facilities or at government functions. To do so is a violation of separation of Church and State.

That's nonsense. Separation of Church and State doesn't mean a complete absense of religion. It's a separation of powers. No religion is allowed to exercise it's power in government. Allowing the expression of religion by individuals who happen to hold office isn't the same thing.

 

[retrorich]

That's nonsense. Separation of Church and State doesn't mean a complete absense of religion. It's a separation of powers. No religion is allowed to exercise it's power in government. Allowing the expression of religion by individuals who happen to hold office isn't the same thing.

I'm not talking about "individuals who happen to hold office." I'm talking about ANY individuals expressing religious beliefs during government functions and/or in government facilities.

 

[Green Gaia]

..Cobb County, Robert Quigley..."We ask a variety of different faiths from around our community to participate,"

Participate in what? The meetings or the prayers?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Participate in what? The meetings or the prayers?

That's a very good question.

 

[Mister Emu]

"they're voluntary, they occur before meetings begin and because they're not always Christian."
Seems fine to me, they didn't just bust out in the middle of the meeting with a reverend and the tabernacle choir singing "Amazing Grace".

That's nonsense. Separation of Church and State doesn't mean a complete absense of religion. It's a separation of powers. No religion is allowed to exercise it's power in government. Allowing the expression of religion by individuals who happen to hold office isn't the same thing.

Frubals for this accurate statement.

Edit:

I'm talking about ANY individuals expressing religious beliefs during government functions and/or in government facilities.

The constitution itself makes no limitations on the guaranteed freedom of religious expression... certainly it doesn't say "Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, excepting of course during government function, and in government facilities"

Except for revisionist interpretation the first amendment is nothing more than a restriction on the legislative body of the federal government.

 

[Snowbear]

Hmmmmm..... and here I always thought (while I was not a Christian as well as now that I am) the wording and intent of that ammendment was that the people have a right to practice any religion (or no religion) that they want??? And that the government cannot tell us what religion to practice (or not practice) and that no religion can tell the government what to do.... where does it preclude anyone from praying just because they're at a government function? Just as it's unconstitutional to say that someone MUST pray at a government function, isn't it unconstitutional to say that someone CANNOT pray (in whatever religion) at a government function?

edit> yeah, what Emu said frubals to you, Emu.... Gimme a break ~ I type slow

 

[Feathers in Hair]

That's a good point, Snowbear. I think what some of us are asking, though, is why it was deemed 'too Christian'. Were other faiths, for example, consulted in the writing of the prayer itself? It could indeed be a case of the ACLU having a knee-jerk reaction to something that wasn't too much one way or too much the other, or it could be something that's actually offensive. I haven't seen the prayer, so I wouldn't know.

The article, for those who were previously lazy like me and didn't want to follow the link.

LATEST GEORGIA HEADLINES

​

ACLU sues over prayers at Cobb commission meetings

The Associated Press - ATLANTA
Five Cobb County residents and the ACLU are suing Cobb County for overly sectarian prayers at county commission meetings.

The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU Wednesday in federal court in Atlanta, claims the prayers before commission meetings are too Christian. One prayer ended, "in the name of Jesus our savior," and dozens more since 2003 mentioned Jesus, according to the lawsuit.

The ACLU does not challenge the commission's right to pray before meetings, just that the prayers are overly Christian, offending the five plaintiffs.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified "nominal damages" and a court order for Cobb to stop the prayers.

"Citizens of all religions and non-religion should be welcome at government meetings," ACLU spokeswoman Maggie Garrett said in a statement.

A spokesman for Cobb County, Robert Quigley, said the commission prayers were in legal bounds because they're voluntary, they occur before meetings begin and because they're not always Christian.

"We ask a variety of different faiths from around our community to participate," Quigley said.

And I'm not sure if anyone is saying people don't have a perfect right to pray to whichever diety they choose anywhere they want. I think it might be more of an issue when it's a city council meeting.

Now that I look at what is being said was said, it does seem that they might have a case on their hands. Would you be happy to follow along with a prayer praising Kuan Yin or Persephone when people probably wouldn't let you have a similar prayer, praising Jesus?

 

[retrorich]

My understanding is that God hears ALL prayers, including silent prayers. There is no way anyone can prevent people from praying silently. When people insist on praying aloud in public, what they are really interested in doing is preaching. And religious preaching does not belong in government functions.

 

[Valjean]

Quite so, Retrorich.

"And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrits are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men..." ---- Matthew 6:5.

When I start seeing Hindu pujas, Moslem prayers, or Native American prayers in public meetings then I'll concede some degree of diversity.

 

[michel]

That's a very good question.

I 'assumed' to participate meant as in 'volunteer to give some form of service' - but I get the point....

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I 'assumed' to participate meant as in 'volunteer to give some form of service' - but I get the point....

Eeep, I'm not sure if I was trying to prove a point. *looks back frantically* I was just curious as to what extent they'd been asked to contribute. For example, I don't see any point in being angry about the prayers if they were asked to provide their input and were too lazy to do so. It would just defy logic if that were the case, and I would certainly not support their case in thinking the prayers were 'too Christian.'

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

In the UK all daily sessions of parliament start with prayers.
Once they were always church of england.
Now we have most of the Christian denominations Moslem Sikh Jews Hindus and probably many others But they still start with Prayers.

Terry
_____________________________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.