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.




  1. Dallas says:

    Conservative religious groups are criticizing President Obama for what the Associated Press called his “muted” observance”

    The Christian Taliban continues to push this rope into government. Give it up. Leave your bigoted, hateful shit within the confines of your tax protected castles.

  2. tcc3 says:

    Fusion – Well, its being rational. Normal is “what everyone else is doing”

    I too hope that one day reason can be normal.

  3. Rich says:

    FELLOW DU FANS, DON’T BE FOOLED! IT’S A TRAP! Eidard likes to light up a fatty, take several hits, and then see what he can do to rile us up, especially the religious types. Don’t fall for it!

  4. Improbus says:

    Alfred …

    Did you know that ‘lib’ in liberal comes from liberty? I suspect that the ‘con’ in conservative comes from convict.

  5. tcc3 says:

    Alfred

    And those Texas Cult members were conservative. What’s your point? That only you are allowed to make illogical and slanderous strawmen?

    Yeah Rich, I know. All in the name of driving traffic to the site. But its so much fun poking the crazy people with a stick.

  6. “At this time in our country’s history, we would hope our President would recognize more fully the importance of prayer,”

    How would they know what the significance of prayer is to Obama, if for him like so many it’s a private matter?

    “Putting aside for a moment the question of whether it’s appropriate for the White House to be involved in encouraging prayer…”

    Moment over ITS NOT!

  7. grog says:

    today’s evangelicals are modern pharisees and hypocrites, and they need to shut the hell up

    Matthew 23

    1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2″The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

    5″Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’

    8″But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.[b] 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

  8. tcc3 says:

    Or, in the parlance of our times “Don’t be a dick.”

  9. I have my own personal Saviors, I change them every hour says:

    #47
    Has anyone else noticed that the rightwing bias media folks have started to divide liberals in to old liberals and new liberals, now that the term liberal no longer is disparaging? I mean consciously noticed its clear Alfred1 just parrots what he hears. I think it’s an attempt to try to divide the party.

  10. tcc3 says:

    Yes, by all means come up with new names for all the people you paint with broad brush.

    Easier to hate when you can give ’em an unpleasant sounding name.

  11. I have my own personal Saviors, I change them every hour says:

    #51 added too
    Yo! FoxRushSavage… fools Orwell’s 1984 was a warning not a playbook!

  12. My letter to President Obama, feel free to paste exactly or modify to your taste, except you Alfie, and paste into the president’s website.

    http://whitehouse.gov/contact/

    Dear President Obama,

    This is in regards to the National Day of Prayer.

    Though you stated in a widely publicized speech that we as a nation include those of no belief at all, you continue to disappoint me regarding your connection to promoting religion and opposing those of no faith in the nation time and again.

    Today you requested that Americans pray. Why? Members of some religions do not pray. Some meditate. Some people have no religion at all and have no imaginary friend to whom they may pray.

    You ignored all such people.

    Further and perhaps more egregiously, you continue to fund and increase the funding for faith based initiatives. Prior to President George W. Bush’s Reign of Error, religious institutions were always able to apply for and receive federal funding for charitable work, provided they prove themselves non-discriminatory in their hiring for such programs.

    Faith based initiatives is all about federal funding of religious discrimination in that its only change is to remove the requirement that religious institutions pulling from the public till prove non-discriminatory hiring practices.

    This is unconscionable in a nation claiming to have freedom of religion.

    I hope that you will see that non-theists are a significant minority in this nation and are increasingly outspoken against such policies.

    Please in the future work to restore the wall of separation between church and state that made this nation free and great.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

  13. Alfie,

    You’re way too hung up on labels. I don’t go around calling you psychotic at every opportunity, only when you say something that is. Why not abort your overuse of labels and take issues with what people actually say rather than pigeon-holing people into your preconceived notions of their beliefs based on little or nothing?

  14. MrMiGu says:

    #47
    “Satanists do the same…want their master provide them with material goods.”

    WRONG!
    Satanists do not worship or beleive in any deity. They worship themselves. If they did worship satan, that would make them……CHRISTIANS!!!! Satan is just the other face of the christian coin. He is the goat used to place blame for all of the bad things that your all powerful god is responsible for.

  15. #56 – MrMiGu,

    Satanists are indeed Christians. And, to go a step further, Christians are Satanists. Both sides believe in the god of the other. They just choose opposing ones to worship.

    Good point. Thanks for making me think about that.

  16. Dallas says:

    #56, #57.. Excellent points.

    I’m waiting for the rebuttal but I gather Google search may be down for them to find the stock answer so it may be a while.

  17. I posted this before on another thread, but it’s more appropriate here.

    God Prefers Atheists.

  18. MrMiGu says:

    #57
    Actually, there is a big difference between Satanism, the philosophy, and Satan worshipping.

    Satan worshipping is a the rejection of worshipping God (the “good” deity) and embracing Satan (the “evil” deity) whereas philosophical Satanism is the rejection of worshipping a God and instead worhipping yourself

  19. Dallas says:

    #60 Thanks. Clear as mud.
    Sheesh, now I need to look up good and bad deity.

    Why not stick to the easy to remember good witch and bad witch like the Wizard of Oz to make things generally familia?

  20. Improbus says:

    If I have my Bible mythology right Satan aka Lucifer is a fallen angel that was made by God that refused to follow God’s orders. He isn’t a deity himself. As a side note … why does God need a bureaucracy (angels, saints, et al)?

  21. I’m having lunch(only GMT -8 hours here) with Satan I’ll be straightening him out on several things He’s been a very naughty boy.

    If you guys have any questions you’d like me to ask him just let me know.

  22. #64 – Alfred1,

    #56 What is it about satanists and liberal judges approving of pedophilia?

    Following the example set by priests?

  23. #68 – Alfred1,

    #67 Ask him if its true…a death [sic] atheist is someone who is all dressed up but has no place to go?

    Presumably you mean a dead atheist. We’ve all got no where to go at death. Some of us are emotionally capable of dealing with the reality.

    I hope that the meat that was me will get back into the food chain. That’s as close to immortality as I can hope for or need.

  24. And Now for Something Completely Different says:

    My god can beat up your god!

  25. tcc3 says:

    It took 70 posts for Alfred to quote scripture.

    Gentlemen, surely we can do better than that.

  26. And Now for Something Completely Different says:

    They don’t believe in “god” or “prayer”…only THEIR god and THEIR prayer. It’s slight but important difference. So out of this list of gods/goddesses ONLY one is allowed for worship by our President and our ‘national day of prayer’

    Agdistis
    Ah Puch
    Ahura Mazda
    Alberich
    Allah
    Amaterasu
    An
    Anansi
    Anat
    Andvari
    Anshar
    Anu
    Aphrodite
    Apollo
    Apsu
    Ares
    Artemis
    Asclepius
    Athena
    Athirat
    Athtart
    Atlas
    Baal
    Ba Xian
    Bacchus
    Balder
    Bast
    Bellona
    Bergelmir
    Bes
    Bixia Yuanjin
    Bragi
    Brahma
    Brigit
    Camaxtli
    Ceres
    Ceridwen
    Cernunnos
    Chac
    Chalchiuhtlicue
    Charun
    Chemosh
    Cheng-huang
    Cybele
    Dagon
    Damkina (Dumkina)
    Davlin
    Dawn
    Demeter
    Diana
    Di Cang
    Dionysus
    Eal
    Enki
    Enlil
    Eos
    Epona
    Ereskigal
    Farbauti
    Fenrir
    Forseti
    Freya
    Freyr
    Frigg
    Gaia
    Ganesha
    Ganga
    Garuda
    Gauri
    Geb
    Geong Si
    Hades
    Hanuman
    Hathor
    Hecate (Hekate)
    Helios
    Heng-o (Chang-o)
    Hephaestus
    Hera
    Hermes
    Hestia
    Hod
    Hoderi
    Hoori
    Horus
    Hotei
    Huitzilopochtli
    Hsi-Wang-Mu
    Hygeia
    Inanna
    Inti
    Iris
    Ishtar
    Isis
    Ixtab
    Izanaki
    Izanami
    Jesus
    Juno
    Jupiter
    Juturna
    Kagutsuchi
    Kartikeya
    Khepri
    Ki
    Kingu
    Kinich Ahau
    Kishar
    Krishna
    Kukulcan
    Lakshmi
    Liza
    Loki
    Lugh
    Luna
    Magna Mater
    Maia
    Marduk
    Mars
    Medb
    Mercury
    Mimir
    Minerva
    Mithras
    Morrigan
    Mot
    Mummu
    Muses
    Nammu
    Nanna
    Nanna (Norse)
    Nanse
    Neith
    Nemesis
    Nephthys
    Neptune
    Nergal
    Ninazu
    Ninhurzag
    Nintu
    Ninurta
    Njord
    Nut
    Odin
    Ohkuninushi
    Ohyamatsumi
    Orgelmir
    Osiris
    Ostara
    Pan
    Parvati
    Phaethon
    Phoebe
    Phoebus Apollo
    Pilumnus
    Poseidon
    Quetzalcoatl
    Rama
    Re
    Rhea
    Sabazius
    Sarasvati
    Selene
    Shiva
    Seshat
    Seti (Set)
    Shamash
    Shapsu
    Shen Yi
    Shiva
    Shu
    Si-Wang-Mu
    Sin
    Sirona
    Sol
    Surya
    Susanoh
    Tawaret
    Tefnut
    Tezcatlipoca
    Thanatos
    Thor
    Tiamat
    Tlaloc
    Tonatiuh
    Toyo-Uke-Bime
    Tyche
    Tyr
    Utu
    Uzume
    Venus
    Vesta
    Vishnu
    Volturnus
    Vulcan
    Xipe
    Xi Wang-mu
    Xochipilli
    Xochiquetzal
    Yam
    Yarikh
    Yhwh
    Ymir
    Yu-huang
    Yum Kimil
    Zeus

  27. And Now for Something Completely Different says:

    It’s obvious that one of those gods is “real” and the other 200+ are just silly made up myths. Obvious. Why can’t everyone see that? Zeus is the only REAL god, since he’s the last god (in alphabetical order).

  28. And Now for Something Completely Different says:

    #78

    Really. That’s so factually ignorant, like everything else you say, it’s why Republicans are now 21% of the nation.

    There are political differences between the parties, but if you REALLY believe one love America and children and the other is trying to destroy us and want kids to be raped, you’re retarded. I mean that SERIOUSLY. You have mental issues.

    The parties are 98% the same, both pro Wall Street big business interests…with only minor crap separating them. They’re like the Crips vs Bloods (gangs). Sure THEY self identify with one or the other and will DIE for it…but from the outside, we just see two gangs that SEEM to be the same…just wearing different ‘colors’. That’s the Dems vs Repubs.

  29. And Now for Something Completely Different says:

    I don’t think Republicans are EVIL and out to destroy America. I think they tend to cut taxes without cutting spending. While Democrats don’t cut taxes or spending. Not a lot of difference.

  30. jccalhoun says:

    Quoting the King James Bible? You’re certainly going to Hell for using that Monarchist Propaganda as your religious text. My God doesn’t support any king except the King of the Jews.

    If the royal family which is the embodiment of the state isn’t a statist institution I don’t know what is.


2

Bad Behavior has blocked 4816 access attempts in the last 7 days.