An unfortunate disruption
I guess it's not often you see coverage of the U.S. Senate's daily invocation in The Times of India, and it wasn't a good thing that it happened today.
Why? Because, for the first time, a Hindu was asked to pray.
And, because Rajan Zed's prayer was interrupted by Christian protesters from a group called Operation Save America.
Good grief.
If Christians want protection for their right to express their religious faith in public, they must respect the same right for people of other faiths.
At the same time, I find the statement by Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, to be very hypocritical.
"This shows the intolerance of many Religious Right activists," he said ... before admitting that he opposes prayers by anyone in the Senate. Which makes his own intolerance universal instead of specific.
Opening prayers before meetings of governmental bodies are in keeping with American tradition, from the very founding of our nation. However, we have to recognize the tremendous religious diversity of our population and afford opportunities for people of minority faiths to participate.
Trying to shout someone down during prayer is not only insulting to that person and his or her faith, it's disrespectful of our country's principles.
In my view, that's certainly not how Christians ought to act.
I hope that people in India and elsewhere around the world will be more impressed by the fact that Mr. Zed was invited to pray in the U.S. Senate than by the unfortunate disruption by three rude and misguided individuals.
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Opening prayers before meetings of governmental bodies are in keeping with American tradition,* Doug
You got that right! The American Revolution was spur by much prayer in the fire of Chaos and gunpower. Unlike the present bigot political republican religious idiots of today and the bigot political correct idiots of the religious democrat establishment left.
" The Reverned Jacob Duche' opened the September 7, 1774, session of the Continental Congress by reading the Thirty-fifth Psalm and added ten minutes of spontaneous prayer asking God to support the America cause. One member said he was worth riding a 100 miles to hear.
In October 1777 a discourged Duche' wrote George Washington urging him to surrender to the British.
Posted on July 13, 2007 5:31 PM