If Governor Perry is sincere in calling Americans to join in the prayers for peace and prosperity of our nation, he has an opportunity to demonstrate it by giving a dignified space to every representation of the 312 million Americans.
Whether you are a Native American, follow an earth based tradition, believe in one God, multiple representations of God or No God, you must feel the embracive inclusion.
America is God's country; it is enriched with the width and breadth of his creation. This boat represents every belief, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, bigots, exclusionists, pluralists, evolutionists, racists, Islamophobes, anti-Semites, anti-immigrants, anti-GLBT, anti-everything and pro-everything. We are a Pluralist nation and let our boat be inclusive, that is the new definition of America, a Pluralist Nation.
America is Atheists' country; the Atheists, humanists, earth-based and native traditionalists must be invited to express their wishes (aka prayers) to fellow Americas without invoking God. I do hope, all of us wish for the well-being of every one of us.
Americans see God in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, non-being, nameless and with innumerable names, and to each one of us it is different. Indeed, we have created God in our own image as opposed to the other way around.
I cannot be safe if the ones around me are not. I cannot be at peace if the ones who surround me are not. It is in my interests and America's interest to ensure everyone is included and honored as God would have done it, then the national prayers would be meaningful.
If Governor Perry invites me, I will be happy to open the event with inclusive greetings and Pluralism prayers where every American feels welcome.
I appeal to Americans to attend the prayers by demanding an inclusion and not allow Gov. Perry to chop God into bits and pieces; yours and mine. America is yours and America is mine, let's not allow any rascal to monopolize God to serve his interests and whims.
Let's commit to work towards a cohesive America and rededicate our pledge to one nation under the dome indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
If this is a political stunt by Governor Perry, he will fall flat on his face and we need to makes sure that he does. We don't need a God, a public figure or a president who does not represent every one of the 312 Million of us; we do not want a President who has an agenda for the right or the left, but not for America. God has not signed a deal with any religious group behind our backs, so should be our president. Both must be free from bias, prejudice and favors.
I appeal to the majority of Americans with a belief in Jesus to act on it and not let anyone divide America as Jesus would have done it.
Here is an example of what an inclusive prayer might sound like.
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer, thinker and an activist committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.
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Brad Hirschfield: Rick Perry's 'Response' Threatens America, As Do Many of the Responses to It
1. It's a prayer. Real pluralism's also for folk who think praying's stupid or evil.
2. It's a prayer to a local deity from west Asia. The attempt to disguise him with names stolen from other religions are no better than a fake nose and cheap wig.
(Did you ask before stealing?)
Where's the carnal worship of Lady Kali? mutilations for Mother Cybele? offerings of alcohol and tobacco to our Ancestors? sacrifices to the older spirits who nightly haunt the crossroads, and give our women babies?
Your western god's an upstart. He's been around just a few thousand years. For most of that time he's had few friends. The world's people laughed at him and held to older ways.
3. Not all religious folk are theist. How about some love for the _third_ largest religion in the US?
Lots of Buddhists think gods and humans are suffering the same sickness. The gods were once us. We were once gods, which sucked worse than being us. Foolish people beg from the gods. That's the problem the Lord Buddha solved.
Jefferson offers an alternative to this racist, bigoted, and theofascist prayer of pluralism:
_Freedom of religion_.
Meaning not -- Freedom to believe that all religions are equally true if they're like your religion.
But -- Freedom for religious folk to do what they want _and_ freedom from the government's stuffing its religion down your throat.
This prayer fails on both counts.
"This boat represents every belief, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, bigots, exclusionists, pluralists, evolutionists, racists, Islamophobes, anti-Semites, anti-immigrants, anti-GLBT, anti-everything and pro-everything.
Let's disassemble that sentence;
"This boat represents every belief, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation", okay.
Followed by "bigots, exclusionists, pluralists, evolutionists, racists, Islamophobes, anti-Semites, anti-immigrants, anti-GLBT", aside from "pluralists" (about which your feeling are unclear) all of the others in your list seem to be people you believe would be recognized as without exception undesirable. Since I self-identify as being a member of the group “evolutionist” (that would be a person who is not scientifically illiterate and recognizes the validity of one of the most widely accepted, best understood and well supported concepts in all of science) I have to say your “why can’t we all get along” message leaves me unconvinced.
And "Atheist" should no more be capitalized than should "Bigot.
How about we just don't have prayers at public functions. Why do some consider that not an option?
I sincerely want to see him voted into well-earned oblivion!