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A lawsuit is being filed today in the District of Columbia, according to an article on the Friendly Atheist Web site, to ban religious ceremony from the inauguration. As I have expressed my disdain, more than once, over the fact that religion is included in this governmental ceremony, you can imagine how pleased I am to see someone taking action to end it. My only lament is for the fact that I am not a part of it.
It is difficult to anticipate how this will turn out, as attempts like this one have, in the past, failed. But, make no mistake, just because they have failed, that doesn’t mean they weren’t valid complaints.
Because the US is predominantly Christian, madness like this is supported and allowed to continue. As per usual, lawmakers and politicians allow their politics to be influenced by their religion – which they absolutely should not do as they are supposedly legally bound not to do so. Hopefully, they will wake up once and for all and do what it is they are supposed to do… defend the law of the country.
I have to wonder, though, how Christians would respond if what was included in the inauguration was a praise to Haile Selassie. I imagine they wouldn’t be so keen to keep religious ceremony as a part of the proceedings.
I will be keeping an ever-watchful eye on the progress of this lawsuit and I will continue to hope, against all odds, that right will prevail in the end.
Comments
agree, religion has no PLACE anywhere NEAR washington DC
keep religion away from our government and we will prosper.
this country was founded by Christians. You already took God out of the schools and look what happened. If you take God out of the government, we will go down hill fast. Christian it's time to speak up.
Actually, a well informed and respectful reference in praise of Emperor Haile Selassie I is in order for any U.S. inaguration, particularly that of President Elect Barak Obama. As the most accomplished world leader, diplomat and architect of Peace through Collective Security, he must be one of the beacons of hope and light referenced as a foundation stone of this Presidency.
this country was founded by Atheists. They put God in the schools and look what happened. Unless we take God out of the government, we will continue to go down hill fast. Atheists it's time to speak up.
Maybe if the Government had more religion they could get more money. Look at scientology! Those guys have both a ship and a Tom of the Cruise variety.
Get rid of taxes! I'd rather pay a tithe of my income than what I pay now.
Yeah, because the phrase "so help me god" is madness. I would generally reserve that for war, or the holocaust, but you know, this is such a big deal, so whatever.
It is time to remove ALL religious fundamentalists on the face of the earth.
BEFORE the people of America focus on those fundamentalist in the Middle East they should start right here, in the USA where fundamental Christianity has taken over the Republican Party, (they don't seem to mind....must be all the money they get from tax-exempt religious organizations), are given free rein to deny medical care to those who do not believe as they do, are allowed to literally steal tax-payers money by having it go towards their faith-based initiative, and are trying to control everything everyone else does.
Do you what that resembles?
What people like Hitler wanted, (with the help of the Catholic Church); one race, one dogma, no dissenters.
All things the Founding Fathers DID NOT want to happen in America.
Time to line up the guilty shoot!
Corey Mondello
Boston, Massachusetts
www.CoreyMondello.com
Religion (at least organized religion) is the bane of mankind.
Having both the invocation and benediction led by Christian ministers is certainly not representative of the American people. The United States is diverse with many different faiths. Even within the dominant Christian movement, there is great diversity as witnessed by the objection of many to one of the ministerial participants.
As a Christian writer (JESUS, A MAN FOR ALL TIME [www.eloqentbooks.com/JesusAManForAllTime.html]), I strongly support the need for a national event such as the inauguration of the President of the United States, must be more diverse so that it represent all expressions of beliefs including atheism. It is physically impossible for all to be properly represented at each inaugural event, but a rotational system can be developed for the future so that all will be including civil statements with no specific religious bias.
From the Washington Post Blog :
'Idiots like Newdow should be shot.'
Posted by: askgees | December 30, 2008 4:10 PM | Report
voices.washingtonpost.com/inauguration-watch/2008/12/atheists_to_challenge_prayer_a.html?hpid=topnews
I can't think of a more persuasive argument for the complete eradication of religion from government, science and education. How can Christians say things like this with a straight face?
This country was built on a belief in God. Their are many things that give proof of his existence. So many people will not even look, which is I suspect because they might find it is true. Then the universe will no longer revolve around them.
For those who do not beleive in God, how is it that you even exist. The air you breath, the food you eat, the water you drink, where do you think it comes from. You cannot prevent death, or you would have shown us. What you don't think about is God has eternity to settle up with those that defy him. What have you got 50 or 60 years of pushing on a string, trying to defeat him. As a gambler you have everything to loose, and nothing to gain. When did you thinking change? How is it you became like this. Where are the people now that were stoked your idealogy.
At least The Blessed Mother came back and talked and instructed her followers. Where are your people? In Hell I suppose.
Newdow is right, of course if Obama wants to add a "so help me god/allah/Michelle/mom or whatever at the end of the oath, he can. But -- the CJ of the US Supreme Ct should at the least offer the oath as it is written in the US Constitution - Art II gives the oath in full, and it does not say God.SP
I believe the invocation and benediction are primarily for the benefit of the President, as he accepts the responsibility of his office. Since Obama is a Christian, it only makes sense that he has Christian speakers.
If the incoming President were Muslim, then it would make sense that he would have Muslim speakers. Although, obviously, it is unlikely that a Muslim person would be elected president.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with the President choosing representatives of his own faith. I wouldn't vote for a non-Christian, but if such a person won, I wouldn't object to his own represntative being of his own faith.
Removing God from government is not a new idea. It has been done over and over again in history. What resulted was a society based on individualism and materialism. These things are not what bring joy. The Lord has been faithful to his people throughout history when they seek him above all else. Why we are still not grasping this concept, boggles my mind. For those of you who do not believe, read the bible, open your heart, because there is so much more to get out of life. Life is a gift.
WOW!!
It saddens me to see how many misinformed people there are.
@Trina:
You're wrong on every point. As I proved to you yesterday, Atheism is a religion and avowed atheists are responsible for more deaths than all other believers combined.
@Corey Mondello:
Toward the goal of removing all religious fundamentalists from the earth as you desire, I suggest we start with atheist fundamentalists like you.
@Jah-Jim:
Haile Selaisse was an arrogant, cowardly, viciously racist scumbag.
Arjay, in your last post you couldn't make up your mind whether the problem was with atheists or with people's desire for power. You not only didn't prove anything, you couldn't even decide what you were *saying*. And now you pop up again and claim that your confusion somehow makes Trina "wrong on every point" about the role of religion in government functions?
Try actually making an argument before claiming to have won one. And please, try to make it make sense next time.
Dear Arjay,
Emperor Haile Selassie was truly a good leader. So please refrain from using such words of hate.
Listen guys. We do live in a Judeo-Christian country, whether you like it or not. Get used to it. Learn some tolerance for the rest of us. Stop trying to silence the voice of God believers. Just be politely silent when you hear it.
To those that you actually relate to, you can tell them that you are an atheist. But don't try to make 95% of the people shut up for you. If you were really so sure of your beliefs, you wouldn't be so threatened by an expression of faith. Secretly, you fear we God believers are right. If it weren't so, you could easily politely ignore public expressions of faith, out of respect for what most people believe.
But no, you have to cram your lack of faith down our throats.
Ceecee, I do "politely ignore public expressions of faith", as you put it. I'm fine with them - even though I disagree with the beliefs expressed, I think it's great that freedom of conscience is a fundamental right in our country.
What I have a problem with is people who impinge upon that right by demanding - like Christians do - that our government endorse and sponsor their expressions of faith, their particular celebrations of it, or just their religion outright. This is not an issue of tolerance, as you claim - this is a particular religion clamoring for a preferred status over others, and this is antithetical to the freedom that I enjoy and want to preserve for everyone else. You can have your religion in your churches, in your homes, on the street - pretty much wherever you go. I'm not telling you to shut up or to stop professing your faith. I only ask that you keep it out of our government, which is supposed to represent the interests of all the citizens equally no matter what their religious views are.
Over the past century, Christians have injected their ceremonies and beliefs into most political traditions of this country - look into the history of the Pledge of Allegiance or the history of "In God We Trust" if you don't know what I mean. The addition of "under God" to the pledge was made explicitly to assert that this is a Christian nation and that I and people like me are not welcome here. THIS threatens me - this official assertion of intolerance by the highest officials in the land, not the notion that Christians might be right about what they believe in. And yet you lecture *me* about tolerance? When all I want is for our government to take a neutral position again?
How does that beam in your eye feel?
@Johann
You are confused and need to read the comments again.
@Jean
Selaissee was a monster.
Cowards like you need to stop hiding behind words like "hate."
Arjay - I reread the comments. You're still the one looking confused, I'm afraid. Want to try again and actually post something reasonable instead of throwing out disconnected ideas and declaring "I win!"?
I highly doubt that removing this phrase from the inauguration will solve the problems we face today. Will taking this out solve our economic crisis? NO. Stop being idiots and bringing up issues that shouldn't matter. Just because this is a country of free religion doesn't mean that something that has always been, needs to be changed because YOU choose not to believe. Religion should not be an issues, and this small line is not forcing anyone to believe. It's asking the lord, whichever lord one chooses to believe in, to watch over the next person in office. If you can't respect that for the reason it was put in there, LEAVE the country then. There are many others that you can choose from. And I can 100% guarantee that this small issue won't seem so important once you're there seeing what they're facing.
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