Oconee County Council Debates Sectarian Prayer
Submitted by theminstrel on Thu, 01/04/2007 - 12:24pm
Two days ago, Rev. Mike Babb led two prayers in Oconee County, S.C. So far, so good.
One prayer was thirty minutes before the county council meeting at a flag pole outside the county building. The other was in council chambers, eight minutes before the meeting began.
The Wilmington Star News reported that an ACLU lawyer responded:
"It was a sectarian prayer in a public chamber formally before every council member."
"That's problematic. Are they going to invite a Jew, a Buddhist, a Hindu or even a Satanist, anyone who wants to pray, before the next Christian?"
The county council decided to have a public meeting next week to discuss whether to continue praying at county meetings.
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But will they embrace FSM
His Noodly Appendage . . . this is the real question.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
Hah! Although funny, this
Hah! Although funny, this poses a real question.
Once someone wins the initial battle, saying that since Christians pray, then Muslims, Buddists, Wiccans, etc., must be able to pray at public meets, one may predict that a line will be drawn. Someone will not be allowed to pray. Someone will say, OK, Muslims can pray, but Wiccans can't (or followers of FSM can't). Then, if it goes to court, the court will most assuredly get into the sticky situation of "defining" what is and is not "religion"--a constitutional and First Amendment no-no.
Sigh.
This is something that has bugged me since I moved to the South
The assumption that everyone is Christian. Christian Prayer opening state-sponsored events. I don't have a thing against any one praying to Any One. I just don't want the state supporting it.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
Had that in MD, too
MD isn't exactly part of the south, either.
I think it's a common assumption in most of this country, really. Even in "blue" Oregon, my supervisors were surprised when I said I didn't go to church. (It was in a conference about my "bad attitude" and other horsepuckey, because I was pretty miserable and didn't know where to meet folks. I am so glad to be back among friends.)
But the weird thing is that in most of my social groups, the assumption is that you /aren't/ Christian. We've got a demographic that is very disproportionately Weird.
I never experienced it until I got to NC.
I was grew up in NJ, and lived in PA for 15 years. It just irks me.
I think I like your wierd friends.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
I grew up in PA and saw both.
We prayed at the beginning of football games, but not at boyscouts. We prayed for some things and not for others. It wasn't nearly as pervasive as it is here.
As for prayer at public meetings, I think it should be a local issue, the national government shouldn't be telling Podunk whether or not they can pray at their PTA meeting.
Jesus Swept ticked me off. Too short. I loved the characters and then POOF it was over.
-me
I'm not sure...
that leaves the worshippers of the FSM (or other minority religions) kind of S.O.L. out in Podunk. It would be best if everyone would just respect all religions, and be content to "give thanks in the manner in which you are accustomed", or something like that, but that doesn't happen in Podunk.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
I have great friends
We're all geeks, frequently gamers, and a lot of LGBTQ. Hanging out with us is like an After-school Special. ;)
I can see that C.Diane...
you are a fun person to be with, wish we had been able to spend more time with you! (ahh but duty called!)
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.