Hindu Prayer In Senate Disrupted by Protesters

[Irvine511]

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?

genocide via drowning only happens to bad people. who deserve it.

 

[yolland]

Guest chaplain Rajan Zed's prayer:


Let us pray. We meditate on the transcendental Glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds. [Rig Veda 3.10.62]

Lead us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. [Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28] May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us. [Taittiriya Upanishad 2.2.2]

May the Senators strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world, performing their duties with the welfare of others always in mind, because by devotion to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. May they work carefully and wisely, guided by compassion and without thought for themselves. [Bhagavad Gita 3.19, minus "the Senators" of course]

United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be as one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord. [Rig Veda 10.191.1]

Peace, peace, peace be unto all. ['Om Shanti', a standard prayer ending] Lord, we ask You to comfort the family of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Amen.


Disgusting sentiments, aren't they?

That said, I think it's a bit of a stretch to find incipient aspirations to martyrdom in the "protest" of these two idiots and their daughter.

 

[Irvine511]

That said, I think it's a bit of a stretch to find incipient aspirations to martyrdom in the "protest" of these two idiots and their daughter.

i'm sure they'd all give their lives for the one true God and his son Jesus Christ.

 

[AEON]

I must admit - these protesters are a bit embarrassing.

 

[deep]

genocide via drowning only happens to bad people. who deserve it.

II guess you are referring to the Flood story with Noah


I think that fewer and fewer believers buy the whole earth flood story.
That all living humans and animals are direct descendants from the Ark passengers.

I do think believers accept the Abram/ Abraham story.
That Abraham was compliant and willing to slaughter his son.

I was told this story at a very young age in Sunday School. And to even question it, would have been heresy.

I now think Abraham failed the test.
He should have said "No' to God.

"I will not slaughter an innocent.
Do with me what you will."

 

[deep]

Guest chaplain Rajan Zed's prayer:


Let us pray. We meditate on the transcendental Glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds. [Rig Veda 3.10.62]


Disgusting sentiments, aren't they?

Yoland,

I have many evangelical Christian friends that would consider that a pagan religion, a false religion.

They would not be happy that this was being presented at their taxpayer expense.
Those values and beliefs are not what the founding fathers of America had in mind.
What next a Wiccan Priest?

 

[AEON]

Yoland,

I have many evangelical Christian friends that would consider that a pagan religion, a false religion.

They would not be happy that this was being presented at their taxpayer expense.
Those values and beliefs are not what the founding fathers of America had in mind.
What next a Wiccan Priest?

Deep,

As you know, I am an “evangelical,” but I need to understand that America does have a pretty wide spectrum of religions. Our military Chaplains are trained to keep prayers as generic as possible, much like the one cited here. I think the civilian Chaplains are trained in the same manner.

I feel that we must be flexible unless ALL prayer will be prohibited. I would prefer prayers like this occasionally be given because I believe there is value in continuing with opening prayers.

 

[deep]

Deep,

As you know, I am an “evangelical,” but I need to understand that America does have a pretty wide spectrum of religions. Our military Chaplains are trained to keep prayers as generic as possible, much like the one cited here. I think the civilian Chaplains are trained in the same manner.

I feel that we must be flexible unless ALL prayer will be prohibited. I would prefer prayers like this occasionally be given because I believe there is value in continuing with opening prayers.

I hear what you are saying.

And it is good to hear that your Chaplain is keeping it generic.

Are you aware of the serious problems that have happened recently with Chaplains and Officers going full-tilt evangelical?

I attend my local City Council meetings and they open with a prayer and the pledge. A couple of years back they passed a policy to go more generic, in lieu of the Jesus as God theme.

As the world gets smaller with the Internet and world trade,
some will push for more tolerance and understanding and some others will think that foreign cultures and beliefs are diluting traditional American values.

How would you feel if this prayer was offered in your child's public elementary school?

 

[AEON]

I hear what you are saying.

And it is good to hear that your Chaplain is keeping it generic.

Are you aware of the serious problems that have happened recently with Chaplains and Officers going full-tilt evangelical?

I attend my local City Council meetings and they open with a prayer and the pledge. A couple of years back they passed a policy to go more generic, in lieu of the Jesus as God theme.

As the world gets smaller with the Internet and world trade,
some will push for more tolerance and understanding and some others will think that foreign cultures and beliefs are diluting traditional American values.

How would you feel if this prayer was offered in your child's public elementary school?

I would prefer that trained Chaplains offer prayers at public ceremonies. These men are women are trained to be generic and not combative.

I also understand that the military Chaplains you decribed were punished. I am transitioning from the Infantry to the Chaplain Corps - and one of things I am looking forward to is working with Rabbis, Priests, and other Protestant ministers from various denominations.

The main purpose of a Chaplain is to offer comfort, not proselytize or get political.

 

[financeguy]

I am starting to think that Americans beat themselves up too much over separation of Church and State.

Can we imagine the reaction if someone tried to convert Muslims to Christianity in even one of the more 'liberal' Muslim states?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_religious_freedom_in_Malaysia#Inter-faith_efforts_in_Malaysia

 

[deep]

In America, we set our standards for ourselves.

 

[U2democrat]

A good friend of the family's and a former student of my Dad is a Chaplain in the Army. As a member of my denomination I can guarantee he keeps things inclusive. Just throwing that out there.

 

[AEON]

A good friend of the family's and a former student of my Dad is a Chaplain in the Army. As a member of my denomination I can guarantee he keeps things inclusive. Just throwing that out there.

I have gone through the application process and one of the requirements is to be able to meet the spiritual needs of all soldiers and to have no issue with offering more generic public prayers. I can be more specific when giving services, but even then I would more than likely be asked to give a generic Protestant service. The only time a can really be denomination specific is when a member of my denomination comes and seeks me out.

I think overall the system works. There will always be those that push the envelope of what is expected, but most Chaplains I have known are very easy going, faithful, brave, and - dare I say - tolerant.

 

[AcrobatMan]

hey

come on

there were no bomb blasts ..no one got killed...

no blood around in senate...no suicide bombers :

Few bigots uttering few words is OK...

however its very very apparent..these religions has fundamental problems

 

[yolland]

i'm sure they'd all give their lives for the one true God and his son Jesus Christ.

I wouldn't be surprised if they enjoyed fantasizing about how they would.

What would the cause they would be dying for be?

 

[Irvine511]

What would the cause they would be dying for be?

perhaps they've had it up to here with these secular humanists and their "happy holidays" in December ...

 

[AEON]

I have always been a fan of Festivus

 

[Canadiens1131]

You can separate church and state, but not church and politics, unfortunately

 

[Irvine511]

lest anyone forget the potential for deadly violence within *some* conservative American Christians ...

[q]On criticism of the books from Christians in Britain and the United States:
"I had one letter from a vicar in England -- this is the difference -- saying would I please not put Christmas trees at Hogwarts as it was clearly a pagan society. Meanwhile, I'm having death threats when I'm on tour in America." -- J.K. Rowling[/q]

 

[A_Wanderer]

I have always been a fan of Festivus

An FYM airing of grievances would go down a treat

 

[Hinder]

Now, I'm not a real big fan of Christianity as a whole, but I can't see where Jesus or God would object to the above prayer - after all, didn't he (or they) create all those things above listed, according to Christianity? So why, under any given pretext, would either of them be angry at this guy for praying the way he did? I mean, seriously, people, he just asked for world peace and for people to be nice to the Earth. Where's the harm in that?

 

[Vincent Vega]

You seriously ask for rationality and sense with fundamentalists?