Hindu Prayer In Senate Disrupted by Protesters

[anitram]

CNN also has video of the event.

Three protesters disrupted a prayer by a Hindu chaplain Thursday at the opening of a Senate hearing, calling it an abomination and shouting slogans about Jesus Christ.

It was the first time the daily prayer that opens Senate proceedings was said by a Hindu chaplain.

Capitol police said two women and one man were arrested and charged with causing a disruption in the public gallery of the Senate. The three started shouting when guest Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada, began his prayer.

They shouted "No Lord but Jesus Christ" and "There's only one true God," and used the term "abomination."

Religious figures from various faiths have said the prayer, which is normally recited by a Christian chaplain.

Barry Lynn, executive director of religious watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest showed the intolerance of the "religious right."

"I don't think the Senate should open with prayers, but if it's going to happen, the invocations ought to reflect the diversity of the American people," Lynn said in a statement.

The three are from Operation Save America.

The Senate was opened with a Hindu prayer placing the false god of Hinduism on a level playing field with the One True God, Jesus Christ. This would never have been allowed by our Founding Fathers.

“Not one Senator had the backbone to stand as our Founding Fathers stood. They stood on the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There were three in the audience with the courage to stand and proclaim, ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ They were immediately removed from the chambers, arrested, and are in jail now. God bless those who stand for Jesus as we know that He stands for them.” Rev. Flip Benham, Director, Operation Save America/Operation Rescue

 

[BVS]

If I could ask God one question it would be "why aren't you with them"?

So sad...

 

[deep]

Three people protest

People protest in the senate chambers all the time


We are a Christian Judeo Country
we don't worship animals


If the guy got a beat down in the parking lot
then he would know what America is really about

 

[The Sad Punk]

I am quietly outraged and disgusted, even though I know this often happens.

I also wonder if the Christian has ever done any research on the faith of the 'founding fathers'.

 

[verte76]

Bigots.

 

[kingofsorrow]

we don't worship animals[/B]

no, you guys murder people because of the color off their skin. very evolved.

 

[Irvine511]

if you kind of turn down the volume, it sounds like "allah akbar!" or "al-Zawahiri!" or whatever else was yelled from Egyptian jails in the early 1980s, when running into an Israeli pizza parlor with a bomb strapped to your chest, or as the body of Saddam Hussein is falling through space with a noose around his neck.

or any of the other sickening parallels these Christian fanatics have with the Muslim fanatics on the other side of the world.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

if you kind of turn down the volume, it sounds like "allah akbar!" or "al-Zawahiri!" or whatever else was yelled from Egyptian jails in the early 1980s, when running into an Israeli pizza parlor with a bomb strapped to your chest, or as the body of Saddam Hussein is falling through space with a noose around his neck.

or any of the other sickening parallels these Christian fanatics have with the Muslim fanatics on the other side of the world.

Actually, what really struck me when reading the original post was the phrase: "No Lord but Jesus Christ" and "There's only one true God." Pretty much an exact parallel to the common Islamic phrase, "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet."

 

[anitram]

It was actually a very lovely and thoughtful prayer. The poor man was visibly shaken when they started screaming things at him, and it was really embarrassing to watch.

The bigger problem I have is that the organization they belong to actually advocated protest and rebuke of their local senators in their newsletters in the days leading up to yesterday. That's what's really disgusting here.

 

[redhotswami]

i guess i'm kind of slow at this...but i had no idea that senate hearings were opened up with prayer at all. i would imagine that THAT is what the founding fathers would've been against.

 

[CTU2fan]

I wonder if the arrest would have gone any differently had the protestors been shouting "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet"?

 

[kingofsorrow]

I wonder if the arrest would have gone any differently had the protestors been shouting "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet"?

they would have been exiled instead of arrestede.

 

[kingofsorrow]

Originally posted by Irvine511 or any of the other sickening parallels these Christian fanatics have with the Muslim fanatics on the other side of the world. [/B]

very well said. they're all bunch of hipocrites, regardless of they're beliefs.

 

[verte76]

Not with Keith Ellison in there.

 

[Bluer White]

A stunning parallel minus the 'bomb strapped to chest'

 

[Irvine511]

A stunning parallel minus the 'bomb strapped to chest'

give it time, a murderous dictatorship propped up by the US, and 70% unemployment.

and that was just one example. i gave two others. i wonder what's yelled when doctors who perform abortions are shot or gay clubs are bombed.

one religion isn't much different from the next.

 

[anitram]

If the society moved more to the left (recognizing gay marriage, stacking SCOTUS, etc), I wouldn't AT ALL be surprised to see domestic terrorism from these groups in the name of Jesus. In fact, I think given the political climate, it's probably not that far off...

 

[Rono]

give it time, a murderous dictatorship propped up by the US, and 70% unemployment.

and that was just one example. i gave two others. i wonder what's yelled when doctors who perform abortions are shot or gay clubs are bombed.

one religion isn't much different from the next.

This reminds me about a page i bookmarked a long time ago,...

http://www.alternet.org/story/43182/

 

[AEON]

If the society moved more to the left (recognizing gay marriage, stacking SCOTUS, etc), I wouldn't AT ALL be surprised to see domestic terrorism from these groups in the name of Jesus. In fact, I think given the political climate, it's probably not that far off...

There is nothing about the teachings of Jesus or anything about His life at all that would justify this.

 

[Diemen]

While I may agree with you, those passionate enough to resort to violence will always find their twisted justification. Just look at the abortion clinic bombers.

 

[Irvine511]

There is nothing about the teachings of Jesus or anything about His life at all that would justify this.

i totally agree.

there was nothing about the teachings of Jesus that justified the crusades or shooting abortion doctors.

 

[Irvine511]

If the society moved more to the left (recognizing gay marriage, stacking SCOTUS, etc), I wouldn't AT ALL be surprised to see domestic terrorism from these groups in the name of Jesus. In fact, I think given the political climate, it's probably not that far off...

we recently had a senator from Texas who said the following:

[q]"I don't know if there is a cause-and-effect connection, but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse violence in this country. . . . And I wonder whether there may be some connection between the perception in some quarters, on some occasions, where judges are making political decisions yet are unaccountable to the public, that it builds up and builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in, engage in violence. Certainly without any justification, but a concern that I have."
[/q]



or a former Congressman from Texas who said this in response to Terri Schiavo:

[q]"The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior." [/q]



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26236-2005Apr4.html

 

[Bluer White]

I can see the comparison between abortion clinic bombers and muslim extremists. But what of size and scope?

From Rono's article: "Since 1977, casualties from this war include seven murders, 17 attempted murders, three kidnappings, 152 assaults, 305 completed or attempted bombings and arsons, 375 invasions, 482 stalking incidents, 380 death threats, 618 bomb threats, 100 acid attacks, and 1,254 acts of vandalism, according to the National Abortion Federation."

Since 1977, seven murders? How does this compare to one week in Iraq between the Sunni and Shia? Or a weekend of attempted bombings in London and Glasgow? Or a single day's plane flights whose destination is the Manhattan financial district?

I take issue with the moral equivalency drawn between modern Christian zealots and Islamic zealots. Certainly there are much different levels of zealotry.

 

[Irvine511]

I take issue with the moral equivalency drawn between modern Christian zealots and Islamic zealots. Certainly there are much different levels of zealotry.

there is an equivalency to be drawn, i think, between someone who shoots a doctor or bombs a clinic and someone who blows himself up attempting to liberate himself from perceived "occupiers."

you are correct that the scope isn't comparable. and for that, we have our separation of church and state to thank, as well as a strong economy, democracy, etc. American Christians are the most powerful, well-protected, catered-to group of believers in the history of the world (and yet, some still feel beseiged in December).

if Christianity were subject to the same extreme social conditions that Islam currently is, we'd see a much more violent face of Jesus.

that's all that's trying to be said, i think.

 

[Zoots]

Wow! I had no idea they opened with a prayer like that. Why can't we fucking co-exist? If we must have religion, just practice yours and let other practice theirs! How hard is it to do that?

 

[BVS]

There is nothing about the teachings of Jesus or anything about His life at all that would justify this.

Yet it's happened in the past. Nothing about his teachings or his life point towards a lot of the things "Christians" do in their life, but they find a wait to twist it to fit their hatreds anyway.

 

[Irvine511]

[q]Murder suspect says he was doing God's work

By PAIGE HEWITT
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

A Cypress man charged in the death of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant said Saturday that he was doing God's work when he went to a Montrose-area bar last month, hunting for a gay man to kill.

"I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet," said 26-year-old Terry Mark Mangum, charged with murder June 11. " ... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing."

Interviewed in the Brazoria County Jail Saturday morning, Mangum said he feels no remorse for killing 46-year-old Kenneth Cummings Jr., whom relatives described as a "loving" son who never forgot a holiday and a devoted uncle who had set up college funds for his niece and nephew. He worked at Southwest for 24 years.

Mangum, who described himself as "definitely not a homosexual," said God called on him to "carry out a code of retribution" by killing a gay man because "sexual perversion" is the "worst sin."

Mangum believed Cummings to be gay.

"I planned on sending him to hell," he said.

Cummings disappeared June 4. His charred remains were found June 16, buried on a 50-acre ranch near San Antonio owned by Mangum's 90-year-old grandfather.

Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne would not comment on the case, citing a gag order issued by a judge Saturday afternoon.

The Chronicle was unable to reach Mangum's attorney, Perry Stevens.

Mangum — who claimed he has studied the Bible for "thousands and thousands and thousands of hours" — said God first commanded him to kill during a "visitation," or dream, while he was in prison in 2001. He said his victim must be a man because men "carry the harvest of the sinner."

After six months' planning, Mangum said, he went to E.J.'s, a Montrose-area club, where he met Cummings. After they drank a couple of beers, he said, the two went to Cummings' home in Pearland.

Mangum said he stabbed Cummings with a "6-inch blade."

"It's not that I'm a bad dude," he said, expressing concern that people might view him as "strange." Pausing briefly, he said, "I love God."[/q]



Jesus Akbar?

 

[AEON]

i totally agree.

there was nothing about the teachings of Jesus that justified the crusades or shooting abortion doctors.

Well, some would argue that the crusades were a response to the Muslim invasions of Europe over the centuries prior to its beginning. That being said, you are correct - Jesus would never agree with Christians going off simply to kill non-believers and abortion doctors.

BTW - even the most Conservative Christians I know were against those bombings.

 

[Irvine511]

all i am trying to say is that there is nothing inherently moral about being a Christian (or being an American).

without eternal vigilence, we all have the same potential for totalitarianism, extremism, and violence.

 

[deep]

Jesus Akbar?

Akbar?

Just a follower of the Bible.

Doesn't seem near as bad as God telling a follower to butcher a child, the follower's own son.

And we are conditioned to revere Abraham and reviled this follower of God?