Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Yahweh on January 22, 2013 at 1:45am

Prayer is what buys you more support 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gallup's Mirror on January 22, 2013 at 3:08am

I hope that in my lifetime this goes away as a standard for these types of events.

Judging by the Pew research below, prayer just might fall out of fashion at political events in our lifetimes.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sarah Jane Hall on January 22, 2013 at 3:28am

I thought it was unnecessary and then they had another guy pray before the luncheon was served.  I was like gee whiz Obama already made it clear that he is pretty liberal when it comes to matters of religion.  I guess that it is the expectation and that following protocol seems like the best course of action though.  At least the prayers were not hugely crazed lunatic fundamentalist crap though.  In other words, it could have been worse, imagine a Romney prayer.  it would have gone like this....Lord we are all blessed to be in your great and magnificent midst on this day bla bla bla sinners bla bla bla lets kill all the non believers and gay people.  That's what a Romney prayer would have been like if you ask me

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Val Wuthrich on January 22, 2013 at 7:37am

I agree, but I don't think prayer is going to leave the public stage in our lifetimes, maybe some day hopefully.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by SteveInCO on January 22, 2013 at 8:30am

IIRC the guy who gave the benediction in 2009 was a homophobic bigot of a clergypuke, so this is an improvement believe it or not.

Though I certainly don't disagree that it should be gotten rid of.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Karl Mugele on January 22, 2013 at 12:06pm

Weirdly this has done in the UK traditionally at Council meetings...why?

It's been banned now....not before time with more than 50% of UK citizens not being religious at all and the prayers not being for all religions.

It's still legal to pray before council meetings, but not as an official start to the meeting...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-16980025

Still a lot to do to get rid of all this mumbo-jumbo bone reading rubbish

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ed on January 22, 2013 at 12:13pm

Aping the traditions of our ancestors is easier than being truly progressive. Obama has demonstrated he is just another puppet serving up tired rituals and way too much pomp and circumstance. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by James Cox on January 25, 2013 at 12:30am

I wonder how may children we could have feed, or people employed doing something 'useful', for the money spent for the recent 'pomp and circumstance'?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dale Headley on January 22, 2013 at 1:29pm

Of course, we know that God has nothing better to do than watch over America.  I just wish he’d do a better job of it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on January 24, 2013 at 3:47am

He?

It!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kairan Nierde on January 24, 2013 at 2:14pm

It, He, She.....Ze!

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by James Cox on January 22, 2013 at 3:16pm

I think folks that organize political gatherings and events assume that without prayer and theist references, the event will not have the sacred feel or component that would bind all to some covenant or social contract. Without 'God' binding the whole edifice together, human frayalty will dissolve the whole thing shortly in time.

Sadly, this might happen anyway, since the less obvious networks of social commitment could cause compromise and decay, independent of the involvement of 'God as over seer'.

A second point could be made about human 'vanity'. Many people see politics as this nearly divine vocation, since it can affect human life in rather deep ways. I think politicos use this public belief to their advantage, which can cause some people to have excess reverence/fear for the politicos, and excess trust. Removing all theist trapings from politics, would expose the politicos to even greater public over sight and criticism, because they have become 'more human' than previously.    

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page