Day Of Prayer? Are You Kidding me? The Government Has No Business

[DistressedAmerican]

mandating such a thing.

Oh, I know they will say, "You can pray to any God you want. So, it is not a violation of the separation of church and state."

WRONG!

If the government mandates a national day of prayer they are endorsing the existence of a god or gods. Plain and simple. It is not my government's place to be insisting the God does or does not exist. Not their job at all. Scalia won't agree with me, nor will Roy Moore. But, they would throw the whole establishment clause right out if they thought they could push an ammendment through.

As an atheist, who should I be praying to on this "National Day Of Prayer?

Am I unpatriotic if I do not pray for the victims of Katrina? Will more die if I do not? Who "in blazes" is George Bush to be telling me to help by praying?

How about some ACTUAL HELP?

If I was going to pray for anything it would be political accountability. That would go a lot farther toward helping these folks than some vague "prayer for the victims".

Keep religion separate from government at all turns! It is not hard if people just stop pushing their belief system on the country.

Then we have the whole issue of the completely pointless and hollow gesture. What these people need it resources. People praying for you does not pay the bills, it will not get you a new job or home.

It is a meaningless PR stunt to propose such nonsense. It is just another shallow gesture to placate his extremist fundie base.

Hey George, get real captain unpopular. You may be able to keep blowing the smoke up their RW fundie butts. But not mine!

[liberal N proud]

1. All I have to say if Christians have not been praying before today

for the victims of Katrina, then why would you start now!

No Government is going to tell me when I need to pray.

[electron_blue]

4. Yep, you're right

And, georgie, the time for a day of prayer or moment of silence, or day of observance, whatever you want to call it, is LONG PAST. An appropriate time to focus our country's attention on those people was immediately. While you were still on vacation, in fact.

[Arugula Latte]

2. Yeah. I don't feel like talking to an Imaginary Sky Diety

and I don't want my government telling me I should.

[smartvoter]

3. Dress like a pirate and pray to FSM. nt

[Bob3]

6. Ramen

N/T

[Sabriel]

5. How about a Day of Volunteer Work instead?

Or, a Day of Sending Unused Items to People Impacted by Katrina?

Honestly, wouldn't that have more of an impact?

[Democrats_win]

8. Its like a xmas gift from George Costanza.

He would give his fellow employees and bosses a card that says he donated money in their names to a charity. Problem is, that charity doesn't exist. George Costanza, a character on Seinfeld, is such a schyster that he won't give anyone a dime.

Bush says, I will pray for you. That's why NO is under water and hundreds of thousands of Americans are homeless. If he hadn't taken money from the levee construction this wouldn't have happened.

[GayCanuck]

10. Festivus for the rest of us.

[DistressedAmerican]

12. Break Out The Pole! Ready For The Feats Of Strength?

Hey GayCanuck,

Welcome to DU! This thread is hopping with newbies. Glad to see ya!:toast:

[GayCanuck]

13. Thank-you

and now for the "airing of greviences"

[DistressedAmerican]

9. NOW THERE IS AN IDEA! National Day OF Volunteerism!

That would actually help someone! Great thinking!

This hollow pointless gesture is at best a joke...

"Dear Lord, Won't you please smite George Bush. He is a cause of much evil in this world. Be merciful to the rest of us and give him some festering sores or something. Please Big Guy! I'll give you ten percent of my income (gross even!)"

[correlator]

7. Katrina as excuse to promote religion

not only is it the day of prayer, but in his waste-of-prime-time - oops, I mean speech - last night, Bush kept calling on churches and religious groups, and encouraging donations to local churches. He's promoting the belief that churches, not the government, are the right people to handle the compassion issues. It really pisses me off.

[DistressedAmerican]

11. Hey correlator! Welcome To DU!

The more the merrier!:toast:

You are so right about the waste of time, err um I mean speech. What a commercial for churches.

Faith based governance is for the religiously deluded. I like fact based action myself.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi correlator!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ComerPerro]

14. I think this national day of prayer should be on a Monday or Tuesday

And we should all be given the day off - with pay - to pray.

And, well, those of us who don't want to pray, we can just do what Bush and the talibornagains do: go through the motions and pretend to pray. And, by that, of course, I mean drink beer and watch TV.

[Cleita]

17. Ah, yes the Church of the Beer Sacrament. I can go for that.n/t

[DistressedAmerican]

18. Hey! I'll Join You There!

Cheers!:toast: :beer:

[Cleita]

16. Yes, they are wrong. I don't like what is going on either. n/t

[caffefwee]

19. kick

:kick: