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Not to be nittpicky but it is a sermon, not just a prayer....
Obama is going to need all the help he can get.
Freedom of religion is an important tenet of the U.S. Constitution and most Americans are believers. It's also an important aspect of the culture. As an African-American I am of a deeply spiritual and expressive people and would find a purely secular society colder than an iceberg. I am fed up with nonbelievers trying to force removal of this important right from public view. The U.S. Constitution states and I quote (for the umpteenth time!) "The government shall make no law concerning an establishment of a religion or of prohibiting exercise thereof." In other words, if you don't believe, you don't have to participate, but go away and leave the rest of us alone.
"In other words, if you don't believe, you don't have to participate, but go away and leave the rest of us alone."
You've got that exactly backwards. If YOU religionists would leave US alone, we would not complain when you pray to your invisible friends.
Where are the snake handlers and chicken entrails readers? Don't they get a turn, too?
Our Founding Fathers were Deists -- students of the Enlightenment. Thomas Jefferson wrote:
"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear. "
Does that sound anything like a Bible-beating Baptist, or a fundamentalist like Rick Warren?
What most people who claim this was founded as a "Christian nation" conveniently ignore is that the first sentence of the Constitution says "We, the People... ordain... this Constituti
Spirituality and superstition are two different things. I consider myself to be a very spiritual person, but I need no celestial master to tell me what's what. I think the notion of a master who commands me and can send me to hell or force me to bow to him in heaven to be a far colder notion than an endless, dreamless sleep after I die...
"As an African-American I am of a deeply spiritual and expressive people"
Yes, a people whose local, indigenous spirituality was literally beaten out of them by Christian slave-masters, who forced them to adopt Christianity into their own worlds...
Just because most people in this country are X, doesn't make X good. At one point, most people were pro-slavery, or anti-suffrage, or anti-miscegenation. Hell, at one point, 1/3 of Americans were anti-Revolution! The whole point of America is that the minority has power. Nobody needs to give the majority power; they already have it! It's the minority atheists whose rights must be protected. You already have mob rule; you don't need help!
As a liberal, I do believe in God and the Constitution of the U.S. I feel that too many people on our side anit-religion (Christian that is, but love Muslims) and "in your face" about it. We need not take this approach. It will only hurt our cause as most people in the US are religious.
Aesthete put this very well, thanks for the comments.
This country was founded on biblical principles and the 10 commandments in particular.
Freedom OF religion
NOT
Freedom FROM religion
Both
Wow.......
....I am for the constitution and seperation of church and state....t
Apparently, BHO believes it will require a LOT of hocus pocus to clean up W's mess.
I for one I'm tired of all these prayers. What about atheist what do we get?
Carol
What we believe in, Nada! Folks haven't figured out the separation of church and state thing yet.
Read the Constituti
Bingo. But I doubt Obama has the spine to add Bill Maher to the program.
Uggh. That would be awful. Obama has taste and class while Bill Maher has none.
you get to keep believing in nothing at all. You get to keep doing what ever you is doing. When you believe in nothing, you should get nothing in return.
Much like believing in invisible guys?
Believe in nothing..t
Get nothing in return. So how on earth do you know this? What if you have placed your bet in the wrong god? You know,, we've invented thousands of them..
I don't believe in nothing, I believe I'll have another drink. Certainly won't get nothing for that.
So what would you want? An Atheist PRAYER? This whole article is about a church service the day AFTER the Inauguration, which is a traditional, non-governmental function. The President Elect can choose whomever he wishes to preside at this service. He is a long time member of the Church of Christ, so it certainly makes sense that he would invite a Church of Christ pastor. If he were jewish, I imagine his choice would be a Rabbi. And if he were an atheist, we wouldn't be having this discussion, becuase there undoubtedly would be no prayer service.
Sorry - how many prayers are there in this thing??
There's Rick Warren, Gene Robinson, and now Sharon Watkins?? Is it the auguration or the Reverends' annual convention?
You forgot the Lowery guy.
This just in: They're adding Michael Palin, with his "God, you are so vewwry big ..." prayer.
LOL
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Yahoo! Philippines News | January 12, 2009 10:13 AM