Conservative religious groups are criticizing President Obama for what the Associated Press called his “muted” observance of National Prayer Day Thursday. “At this time in our country’s history, we would hope our President would recognize more fully the importance of prayer,” said Shirley Dobson, chairwoman of National Day of Prayer Task Force, which organizes the prayer day festivities. The Family Research Council said Obama’s decision to not have a big White House prayer event constituted a “de-emphasis on prayer.”
Also a de-emphasis on silly walks.
I think this is actually a case of religious conservatives having cut off their noses to spite their faces. Putting aside for a moment the question of whether it’s appropriate for the White House to be involved in encouraging prayer, this particular occasion has evolved in a way that almost guaranteed its demise.
The Bush White House had National Prayer Day run by a conservative, evangelistic Christian group. The mission statement on the Task Force’s Web site states that “in accordance with Biblical truth,” the Task Force seeks to, among other things:
“Foster unity within the Christian Church”
“Publicize and preserve America’s Christian Heritage”
“Glorify the Lord in word and deed”The event became a showcase for religious conservative Christians to lead the nation in prayer…
Eight years of public butt-kissing doesn’t make ritual and superstition automatically part of the Constitution.
Being that I’m in Canada, yes, yes I did skip it, thankfully.
I went to a Gay Pentecostal Church.
We danced with feathered boas.
Cursor_
Obama should have prayed in a Mosque, making Fox and the rest of the right-wing nut patrol go BALLISTIC.
That would have been sweet!
Do those snakes talk like the one in the bible?
Who are atheists supposed to pray to?
There are like 3 churches that handle snakes in America yet THAT’S the photo you use to represent prayer.
Bigotry, anyone?
Heck, prayer isn’t just Christian. Even some of my atheist friends will pray when they get in a tough-spot.
But, I have no need for a national day of prayer.
I can see the place for it at the inauguration but what’s the point of an official day?
Who are atheists supposed to pray to?
If you really want to get into the “spirit” of things I guess you could take some high quality hallucinogens so you can “see” God(s). Never worked for me though … no matter how much I took I never saw any thing remotely supernatural.
And these folks also claim that middle east theocratic states should be banned.
As a brazilian atheist, I wonder in which country this christian force gets more powerful, and more ignorant people is abused by clever and greedy church leaders.
I get the whole ritual thing, but what part of mainstream Christianity is superstition? There is a growing wide stream of us reasonable Christians, many of us non-denominational, that you’re sweeping under the rug with the conservative evangelicals.
Free thinker,
When ANYONE gets power, the leaders can abuse the people. In Latin America, were the atheistic leaders like Castro loads better than the Christian ones?
As for me, I would gladly vote for an atheists, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or ANYONE who respected the common people.
I prayed.
A Nation of the People…
Look at any poll, and the vast majority of Americans claims to be religious. To get elected to anything, out of the Bay Area, you have to be seen looking pious in a church or temple. You can’t even make a speech without including the words god or prayer several times. If you are an atheist, get use to the idea you’ll always be an outsider. For personal safety in some places I wouldn’t even proclaim it. This will never change, it’s the nature of the beast.
>> RTaylor,
>> To get elected to anything, out of the Bay Area, you have to be seen looking pious in a church or temple.
That’s what Bay Area want to believe, anyway.
I gave up on religion in general a long time ago, especially religions that claim they have to only truth out there (that’s everyone but the Unitarians). I haven’t given up being decent (or if you prefer, excellent) to others.
Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. Obama couldn’t win on this one.
“Eight years of public butt-kissing doesn’t make ritual and superstition automatically part of the Constitution.”
Sooo.. you just have to be batshit crazy then?
Isn’t it about time for the scientologists to step in and “clear” this up for us?
Damn, Alfred you seem to really be up on the satanic cults. What was that about birds of a feather?
Fairy tales are for entertainment not government.
The reason Obama can’t pray in public is because his teleprompter is an atheist.
I’d like to say I don’t really keep track of religious nutbags of any stripe, but I guess I did pick a fight with you on this thread.
No, I don’t worship satan or molest children. Apparently rabid religious conviction can apparently make people do crazy things.
And yes, my last post was from the Dept of Redundancy Department.
I’m about to start preying now … on my lunch. I hope I can keep it down while thinking about this.
That Texas polygamy cult seemed pretty conservative to me. No satan worship, but they did molest children. And they were from Texas even!
If all liberals are satan worshiping child molesters (which is what Alfred implies) does that mean all Texans are child molesters?
Logical fallacy for the loss…
#27 Alfred1
“Satanic child molesting cults are always politically liberal…they seem to flock together on that score…”
According to who? You just wanted to get the words satanic, liberal and child molester in the one sentence, didn’t you?
You need help, man. Seriously.
#27
Balance the slant? if anything the sheer stupidity/insanity of your posts legitimizes this slant.
“Did you skip the National Day of (Conservative, Christian) Prayer?”
Every day.
Obama Against National Day Of Prayer!
“President Barack Obama won’t publicly celebrate National Prayer Day Thursday, breaking from a long-held White House tradition…”
Obama Supports National Day Of Prayer!
“The Obama administration has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which claims the day violates the separation of church and state.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30602699/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30623622/
In other news, President Obama is for and against apple pie.
RBG
I imagine the number of Satanists in this country is a small, two digit number. They’re weird and scary, but they’re toothless.
I’m more worried about the fundamentalists…which are pretty scary because of their huge numbers and their conviction that they alone have hot lines–lots of them–to [deity].
Its nice not having a religious nut president. I didn’t even notice it was government sponsored Christianity day.
RBG,
You seem to think that you’ve found a “gotcha” but I don’t see this as a contradiction.
A president could easily believe that a day of prayer is constitutional but not personally participate some times.
The right wing nut evangelical religious child molesting jerks meth and man ass addicted are afraid. While most people still say they are religious, those numbers are falling rapidly. The above mentioned group knows their days are numbered.
While years ago actions such a banning the teaching of evolution or specifying the age of the universe would not have gotten a mere second glance. Today science has shown us how important it is in not only our everyday life, but the furtherance of our society and nation. Since the beginning of WWII we have relied upon science to further our selves.
While the USSR sent massive waves of soldiers against the Germans, we sent better weapons. After WWII, we built atomic bombs and missile systems. We miniaturized electronics boards, then transistors, then microprocessors. We made our planes faster than sound, then faster still. Our submarines can’t be heard and can dive to extreme depths. Our missile destroyers have as much firepower as a WWII battleship. Our surgeons can replace almost all organs. Our drugs cure so many diseases. Our lifespans 30% longer. Our farms feeding three times as many.
And god had nothing to do with any of it. We know that and there is no refutation to it. I predict that organized religion will be a small minority of people within the next 10 years and ridiculed out of existence in most of the west within 25 years.
And it is not atheism. It is being normal.