Seriously though, why is there a prayer before every little thing the government does?

[MadBadger]

There is an invocation before the honoring of Lincoln right now, saying it was the Lord who brought us Lincoln!

This is an embarassment.

[ixion]

1. because they're hypocritical people who like to feel righteous

even as they lie, cheat and steal.

[yurbud]

2. so the lord will forgive them for what they do after the prayer

[Bigmack]

3. If the lord brought us Lincoln....

Who could have brought us Boehner?

Could it be.... (church lady sneer) SATAN?

[Jokerman]

6. ...then he also brought us John Wilkes Booth. n/t

[liberal N proud]

4. So the fundies can say this is a "Christian" nation

[kiva]

5. Just said in another thread how annoying this is--

I was listening to Eric Foner (historian) on NPR the other day, and he pointed out that Lincoln was never a formal member of a church, and managed to be inaugurated twice without a minister present. Oh, for the good old days.

[Buzz Clik]

7. Same reason why politicians do anything.

They put their finger in the wind to determine who will be happy by their actions and who will be upset. Then, they try to figure out if the unhappy people will stop voting for them because of their actions.

In this case, more religious people will be pleased with their little ritual than non-religious people will be pissed to the point of changing their vote. So, they pray.

[Laelth]

27. Astute and accurate, I fear.

I would add, though, that I feel this rule applies to most politicians most of the time. Occasionally, many politicians do what they feel is right, regardless of the consequences.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Deep13]

8. Pass the buck?

:shrug:

[Gold Metal Flake]

9. Because politicians will criticize politicians who don't.

So why not do it? Cheap insurance against an election-day attack.

[gratuitous]

10. Beats me

But then, I don't understand why every sporting event has to kick off with a rendition of the national anthem, and most of them feel compelled to have some liturgical glorification of the military.

[MadBadger]

11. I dont know why the national anthem is sung, but thats something that doesnt bother me really

This is just offensive.

[gratuitous]

23. I can dig it

I find the little spurt of by-jingo nationalism and militarism offensive.

[izquierdista]

12. Otherwise,

People won't heed the Good Book!

[RaleighNCDUer]

31. Next scene:

"Son, you're on your own."

[guitar man]

42. Ooh, baby, you are so talented!

And they are so DUMB!

:rofl:

[Postman]

13. Why are there national anthems before SPORTING EVENTS?

What does a sporting event have to do with it?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

14. Nothing Embarrassing About It.

Most people hold some level of faith. Deal with it.

[MadBadger]

15. This comment is an embarrassment

Why not have school prayer then?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. You're Right. The Comment That Followed Your Warning Was In Fact An Embarrassment.

The leap of flawed logic necessary to take the complaint in the OP and make it equivalent to school prayer is mind boggling.

[Goblinmonger]

21. pssst: it's the same leap you made

i.e. most people are religious so who cares.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

22. ROFLMAO!!! You Can't Be Serious.

You really think the two are comparable? You think the statement that most people have some level of faith is a leap? You actually think that taking the OP and making it equivalent to having school prayer is in line with that? Are you for real? Oh, oh, that is too fucking funny!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce:

[Goblinmonger]

33. Way to build strawmen.

The leap is not that some people have a level of faith. The leap is that saying some people have a level of faith means that we should have prayers before meetings, etc. is the same leap as the one that says because some people have a level of faith we should have prayer in schools. It is the same reasoning for both.

Again, the "leap" I am talking about is the leap from number of those with faith leading to a government policy regarding prayer. I'm sure you'll build some other strawman about this--it's what you do best. Oh, that and copy and paste emoticons; you're pretty good at that, too.

[polmaven]

38. Exactly!

Plus...We are talking the difference between ADULTS, who have the ability to CHOOSE if they will Join in, and CHILDREN, who would not, necessarily, due to a myriad of reasons...not the least of which would be peer pressure.

[Skittles]

54. I wish I could find humor in that asshat

[Goblinmonger]

20. Good luck with that one.

Many of us have gone many rounds with him.

[Laelth]

26. Agreed. It's not worth it.

Just likes to be combative and difficult. Takes all kinds, I guess.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Skittles]

24. says you

it is embarassing and highly inappropriate - it stinks

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. Says Logical Reality.

Nothing embarrassing nor inappropriate about it, regardless of the poutrage the knee jerk zealots show.

Sometimes some here appear to be so allergic to even the slightest hint of religion one would think they are vampires. :rofl:

[Skittles]

53. let's keep it logical

keep religion in the church and in the home - but keep it OUT of government

[ContinentalOp]

30. Good point.

Most people wouldn't find this embarrassing since most people are religious. You can't really be embarrassed by your own ignorance. Babies aren't embarrassed about shitting in their pants either. Only adults might be embarrassed for them and in this case, the adults are a tiny minority.

[krabigirl]

52. 15% don't. It's a significant minority.

[DFW]

16. Well, at least in the Bush days

Stuff his government did was so fucked up, prayer was about the only way
they had left of hoping to fix the mess they made (you may have noticed:
it didn't fix anything).

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jmg257]

18. Hey, why not? They need all the help they can get! nt

[Stevenmarc]

28. Hedging their bets

[Arugula Latte]

29. Gotta appease the invisible omnipotent non-existent figment of the imagination, dontcha know.

[nichomachus]

32. That's so ironic -- because Lincoln didn't believe in that shit n/t

[endarkenment]

34. Because we have constitutional separation of church and state

so that means we cannot conduct any state business without a prayer. Seems perfectly logical to me.

[newtothegame]

35. I think it's cause it couldn't hurt, and if there is a God, it probably helps.

:shrug:

[FiveGoodMen]

37. Really? We kill a million + of "God's Children" in Iraq for no reason, but He's still impressed if

we pray?

You must be talking about an awfully stupid God.

[newtothegame]

43. Who knows? I have bigger priorities then being "offended" by anything and everything. n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

44. Yeah, but does God?

His whole purpose is to be worshipped or offended. Since creating the universe, what else does He have to do?

Would He be offended by this hypocrisy? Does it invite His wrath?

[FiveGoodMen]

47. Move to strike as non-responsive.

[Goblinmonger]

48. Pascal's wager

makes sense to you?

[newtothegame]

50. Exactly:) It's a prayer; Ive got greater concerns in this world than a prayer, and ftr Im an atheist

Do we have to be offended by EVERYTHING? It takes away from movements for REAL change. And bit alot of us in the butt when BOTH sides in the Democratic primaries decided to be offended, with cries of racism and sexism.

ed for sp

[FiveGoodMen]

36. Should be prohibited.

[Solly Mack]

39. Because they obviously don't want the blame for their actions

LMAO

God did it! God told me to do it!

[FatDave]

40. Because we're largely a nation of morons?

American Christians are so hardcore they would never vote for anybody they deemed non-religious. And they're like 80% of the population. So they get sucked up to. And it's safe for democrats to kiss their asses, because what atheists gonna do, vote republican?

[dkofos]

41. My guess is they are praying they won't be caught in a corruption scandal.

[Iggo]

45. Because they are pussies.

[ColbertWatcher]

46. Good question.

I think it's high time we make a serious effort to separate church from state.

[PurityOfEssence]

49. Because they're so deeply, deeply scared

They're scared of death. They're scared of uncertainty. They're deeply scared of having to back up their supernatural contentions because somewhere deep inside, they're aware how silly, indefensible and childish they are, so they have to sonorously intone the reminder that EVERYONE agrees with this assumption to quell their gnawing fear that it's all poppycock.

That's one of the unspoken truths about proselytizing: they have to win over EVERYONE, because they're haunted by the fear that their cosmic worldview is silly. ANY holdouts are an affront. Anyone who believes something different or doesn't subscribe to the supernatural is a virulent danger to their well-being, and even if they keep to themselves, they're aggressive persecutors.

They must win EVERYTHING and chant numbingly to drown out the horrible, horrible fear.

That's why you suck, you evil heretic.

[krabigirl]

51. seriously. It is embarrassing to watch.

[L. Coyote]

55. We cannot allow reality to interfere with the need to cover up past ignorance.

If we admit we are ignorant, we have to rethink everything.
It is much more comfortable to be dysfunctional and blissfully ignorant than to have to think.