Comments on: Finally, We Can Agree

By: P Smith

P Smith — Sun, 10 May 2009 17:02:30 +0000

Those who want mandatory religion and prayer in government want THEIR religion and prayer in government. The fastest spread of religion has always been done by latching onto power and imposing it violently.

By: Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa — Sun, 10 May 2009 16:32:01 +0000

“It’s not like anyone is “forcing” national prayer day on anyone else.”

Wrong. How much does this National Prayer Day cost taxpayers? The government is using my tax dollar for something I do not support nor believe in… THEIR religion.

I don’t want one red cent of my tax dollar paying for THEIR danish and coffee let alone to have the government endorse prayer to some fairy-tale skygod on my nickel.

By: Steve Blake

Steve Blake — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:44:57 +0000

Prayer: 5 per cent success rate.

By: Francesc

Francesc — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:32:04 +0000

You are doing that since 1952??
Wow, more than fifty years of data! I bet the power of prayers has been shown since then.
Has not?

By: Elemenope

Elemenope — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:45:21 +0000

Apropos of nothing but recent experience, the new Star Trek movie rocked.

By: cypressgreen

cypressgreen — Fri, 08 May 2009 04:14:02 +0000

Actually, I think it IS forcing in a way. Our governmental representatives at all levels get pressured to join in on proclamations, prayer breakfasts, etc. Who wants to be the governor who says, “Hey, we don’t need a day of prayer.” That’s like political suicide. You practically can’t get elected these days w/o a nice little statement about how you’re a ‘person of faith.’
Many of our founders kept their real thoughts on religion private. It wasn’t cool to let the general public know that you weren’t Mr. Super Christian. That’s why we have to read their private writings to know how they really felt about religion.
I applaud Obama because this is a step closer to him ignoring the whole thing. And if the top dog doesn’t go to a prayer breakfast, the little dogs can follow suit with less negative attention.

By: J.R.

J.R. — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:36:02 +0000

I agree with this pastor. He actually suports seperation of church and state, and probably understands the determent of it.

By: gmcfly

gmcfly — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:34:07 +0000

The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has a pretty interesting history. Originating from the Southern Baptist Convention (home of most of today’s Christian fundamentalists), the BJC became more and more at odds with the SBC during the 1980s, and in 1991 the Southern Baptists voted to cut off all funding to the Baptist Joint Committee.

The BJCRL is now supported by individuals and several mainline Baptist denominations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist_Joint_Committee_for_Religious_Liberty#Southern_Baptist_controversy

By: Bissrok

Bissrok — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:45:35 +0000

So our country set aside this specific day to request that Christians pray for them? That seems… strange.

I have to wonder, though, does getting a lot of prayers together directed toward US benefit have a greater effect than if just one person did it? And, if a system like that has been shown to work, why wouldn’t we expand that focus to, oh I don’t know, the entire world? I mean, it’s God. He’s all powerful. Wouldn’t take much extra effort on his part. As long as your organizing an attempt to get his attention and beg for a favor, you might as well aim higher. Feels a little self centered to waste that focused effort on an extremely wealthy country.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:13:25 +0000

Like the addition of “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance and the decision to make “In God We Trust” the national motto (though that was on coins since the Civil War), The National Day of Prayer began during McCarthyism to separate us from the damn atheistic commies.

Apparently America’s mindset is still in the 50s.

By: Elemenope

Elemenope — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:44:10 +0000

It has existed in the US since 1952 (by act of Congress, IIRC), and was a fixed date since (again, IIRC) 1985. It is specifically a day for the purpose of soliciting prayers by citizens for the country, making it even more of a despicable church-state incursion than the title makes it sounds like.

By: Bissrok

Bissrok — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:15:01 +0000

What the hell is a “National Day of Prayer”? Is that something new? And I’m confused by the premise. Are religious people not praying on normal days? Why did this become a national event?

By: DeMar

DeMar — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:46:08 +0000

But that would leave out all of the fundies and you don’t wanna be pushing them out of their own holiday. :-)

By: Mike aka MonolithTMA

Mike aka MonolithTMA — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:00:34 +0000

True

By: Lorena

Lorena — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:57:55 +0000

Easy.

Universal health care with affect the pockets of the rich conservatives.

Prayer makes the poor forget that they’re destitute. It makes them stop winning for free health care, since God is said to be the health care provider.