Date: Fall 1999
Hi ... everyone...
I cannot resist responding to this. Before I go any further, I want to say that
my
reaction to this event (assuming it actually occurred) is outrage. I hope I
don't
insult anyone with my comments/opinions - or maybe I do, if that generates some
interesting responses. In any case, I hope to at least encourage everyone to
think about what this event says about American society by providing an opposing
view. Also, because I'm writing this on-the-fly out of emotional reaction,
there
will probably be holes in my arguments that I overlook. Feel free to point them
out to me (I promise I wont be insulted!) Well, here goes...
> > > > PROFOUND PRAYER
> > > >
> > > > When minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new
> > > > session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting
First of all, the separation of church and state is one of the foundation blocks
of
America. The "founding fathers" experienced first hand in Europe the problems
that
arise when the two are together. Keeping the two separate is essential insure
religious freedom for everyone. Religious freedom is more than just the right
to
practice your religion of choice. It is also the right to live in peace without
constantly being harrassed by others trying to convert you to the "right"
religion. It is also the right to NOT be forced to live by the religious-moral
standards of anyone else. So, what in the world is a religious figure doing
opening the new session of the Kansas Senate?! By inviting this minister, the
Senate is implying that their work is guided by religious beliefs. Moreover,
they
are also implying that the Christian religion is the "right" one. A question:
How
would you feel after hearing about this prayer if you were a Hindu in Kansas?
You
would probably feel at least little uncomfortable. And that feeling of
discomfort
is a violation of your right of religious freedom. You, as a Hindu, have the
right
to feel good about yourself and your beliefs. That right was taken from you by
your legislators. Another question: Would you, as a Hindu, feel confident that
these legislators are going to consider you and your religion when they make
laws?
I sure wouldn't.
>
> > > > the usual politically correct generalities, but what
> > > > they heard instead was a stirring prayer, passionately
> > > > calling our country to repentance and righteousness.
This ^^^ is borderline nauseating. This could also be phrased "...passionately
calling our country to adopt the set of Judeo-Christian moral values because
they
are the 'right' ones."
> > > > The response was immediate. A number of legislators
> > > > walked out during the prayer in protest. In six short
Kudos for them! Maybe there's hope for a free Kansas yet!
> > > > weeks, the Central Christian Church had logged more
> > > > than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls
> > > > responding negatively.
If these numbers are true and accurately represent the population, that's even
more
shocking because that means that the majority of Kansans have no problem
combining
State and Christianity. Something tells me they'd have huge problems with
combining State and Hinduism (i.e. if the minister was a Hindu)!
Then again, perhaps these numbers shouldn't be so shocking considering Kansas is
the same state that recently set science education back a hundred years or so
by
BANNING Darwin's theory from the classroom. (but that's another entire issue
that
I wont get into here)
> > > > The church is now receiving
> > > > international requests for copies of the prayer from
> > > > India, Africa, and Korea.
I'm having trouble believing this. In fact, I think this is a total lie - which
makes me wonder if this whole thing is just a silly email tale.
And now to the "prayer" itself...
> > > > THE PRAYER
> > > >
> > > > Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your
> > > > forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance.
> > > > We know Your Word says, "Woe on those who call evil
> > > > good," but that's exactly what we have done. We have
> > > > lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our
> > > > values. We confess that:
> > > >
no problem here with the intro. It's pretty benign.
> > > >
> > > > We have worshipped other gods and called it multi
> > > > culturalism.
> > > >
What is this supposed to mean?! Is this guy saying that respecting other
cultures
is bad and should be stopped immediately? This is something I might expect to
hear
from the Ayatollah in the theocracy of Iran. I'm mystified at how this
"minister"
somehow associates multi-culturalism with "worshipping other gods". Someone
please
feel free to clue me in on this.
>
> > > > We have endorsed perversion and called it an
> > > > alternative lifestyle.
> > > >
I'm interpreting this as a thinly-veiled jab at homosexuality. I don't have a
problem with his opinion. That's his religious belief, and I respect that. My
political view: On the other hand, I believe such statements encourage a
social
atmosphere that breeds hate against gays which leads to violence - like the
Shepard
murder last October in Wyoming.
>
> > > > We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
> > > >
Again, he's entitled to his opinion, so I have nothing against this. < I can't
resist inserting some sarcasm here, though...> Oh, the ever-so-evil lottery.
God
forbid that people be able to spend their money as they please. "We need the
government to control how those poor people spend their money. They are
unfortunately too stupid to make their own decisions."
>
> > > > We have neglected the needy and called it self
> > > > preservation.
> > > >
another apparently harmless statement.
>
> > > > We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
> > > >
Oh, of course we all know that EVERYONE on welfare is lazy, right?
>
> > > > We have killed our unborn children and called it a
> > > > choice.
> > > >
> > > > We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
> > > > We have neglected to discipline our children and
> > > > called it building self esteem.
> > > > We have abused power and called it political savvy.
> > > >
> > > > We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called
> > > > it ambition.
> > > >
...these above are all pretty harmless and/or uninteresting to me right now.
>
> > > > We have polluted the air with profanity and
> > > > pornography and called it freedom of expression.
>
Is he saying that the government should start arresting people who use profanity
or
pornography, just because his value system declares them as 'wrong'. I get the
feeling he's saying that the right of people to express themselves in these ways
should be revoked. This is another statement I would expect from some
politician
in Iran.
> > > >
> > > > We have ridiculed the time honored values of our
> > > > forefathers and called it enlightenment.
> > > >
Let us not forget that some of those "time honored values" of our forefathers
included things like torturing and burning witches and heretics at the stake.
And
wasn't it Isaac Newton (or Kepler) who first stated that the earth was not the
center of the universe, but was forced by the church to recant under penalty of
death/imprisonment/excommunication? In my book, ridiculing those values is
indeed
enlightenment!
>
> > > > Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse
> > > > us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless
> > > > these men and women who have been sent to direct us to
> > > > the center of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your
> > > > Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
> > > >
...blah, blah. nothing to pick at here.
> > > >
> > > > What awesome insight !!! With the Lord's help, may
> > > > this prayer sweep our nation and wholeheartedly become
> > > > our desire so that we again can be called a Christian
> > > > nation that fears the Lord!
I, for one, would NEVER want the US to "be called a Christian nation" because
that
would not be fair or respectful to the non-Christians.
> Please send this prayer
> > > > to as many of your Christian friends as you can. Let
> > > > us all help to get the Lord back into our lives and
> > > > most importantly into the lives of our children. >>
...that's all fine as long as it's only OUR lives and OUR childrens' lives and
NOT
the lives of others. This means that we should not make laws that attempt to
impose our religious values on others.
There are my 2 cents. I'd love to get everyone's 2 cents on this. (then I'd
have
about enough for a lottery ticket >:-)
-ricky
PS No mail bombs please.