For God’s sake, give up the public prayer thing before someone gets hurt.
Thursday brought another predictable flare over prayer, this time at the state Capitol. The public offering-turned-offending happens every time some two-bit pastor warms up the state Legislature or a city council. This especially odious ode illustrates why this bad habit should end.
Denver Post reporter Lynn Bartels, who vigilantly watches over the General Assembly — mostly when state lawmakers wished she wouldn’t — reported Thursday morning’s inflammatory antics by the questionably Rev. Doug Toller of Winter Park Christian Church.
He riled Democrats and, hopefully, some thoughtful Republicans, when he raised this request to his maker:
“And Lord,” Toller said, “I pray for courage that they might vote in a way that’s not according to the culture acceptance, but according to what’s right before you so we can experience your blessing on us,” Bartels wrote.
Bad grammar aside, culturally accepted and even lauded lawmakers like the Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Mainstream Colorado, who is openly gay, was offended. So were others. So am I.
This is not a free speech issue. Gay marriage or rights were not being debated, and they certainly weren’t being debated by this “Christian” yahoo. If he, or any other preacher, wants to bash gays, do it in committee like our system of government calls for, or back in church.
The reason why it’s so obvious to end this prayer thing is because Toller’s public insult begs the question, just what should these people be praying for? In many cases, it’s pretty obvious that only an act of God can bring reason and sense to a place that expects the divine creator to widen I-70 from Floyd Hill to the Eisenhower Tunnel, because the state Legislature sure as hell can’t figure out how to do it. Given that the state Capitol is chock full of some of the weirdest and most unreasonable people in the state (God bless their freaky little souls, though) we can assume it would be OK to pray for them to be less weird and unreasonable. Can I have an “amen” for that?
And just as difficult as it is to answer the question of what’s reasonable to pray for at the beginning of a government meeting, it’s a tougher question to answer what should be off limits. Is it not OK for the good Rev. Brimstone to pray that legislators do the right thing about the “feminazi” agenda and outlaw abortion, short dresses and women in the workplace? Is it OK to pray that any lawmakers opposing more stringent regulation of food trucks get explosive diarrhea during the hearing on a bill?
To keep from offending someone, including Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists and lawyers, who also are supposedly welcome to observe and take part in Capitol proceedings — well, maybe not lawyers —prayers pretty much have to be as strident and meaningful as fortune cookies.
“May the Good Lord help everyone here have a nice day, and by nice I don’t mean that the GOP nicely prevails in overturning gun-control laws. Amen.”
Just stop it. If someone is so religious that they feel the need for divine communion or intervention before reaching for the green button or dozing off in their cushy, green easy chair, then hold a moment of silence to let folks reach out to Jesus, Mary or Jon Stewart, or whomever gives them the guidance and moral fortitude to appease the real judges of their work: voters and campaign donors.
— Dave Perry, Editor
Spot on, as usual.
No more catering to the religionists.
I think I see why such lousy laws were passed last year. These people are too thin skinned to go out in public, let alone make laws we have to live under. If reference to God offends them, then don’t pass any more tax bills, since my funds are based on “In God we trust” And do not see all the stuff Dave Perry referenced in the article, especially anything to do with sex or sexual habits. Doubt the Minister knew which bills would be considered that day, so I suspect they had something else on their minds than the prayer. In any case, I would prefer having more mature representation at the Capitol, as I believe others in Colorado do too.
As the saying goes, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
By “culture acceptance,” this soapbox preacher must not be referring to for-profit, tax exempt megachurches. Those are okay.
Once again, Perry proves himself to be of the so-called inclusive liberal left. This buffoon doesn’t care that the majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians. He doesn’t like religion or the idea of God (nor guns or anything else about personal freedom) so he uses this overreach as justification to ban prayer altogether instead of addressing the individual incident. Pathetic really.
So you would be fine with a muslim Salat al-Fajr, at the start of government meetings?
“God who gave us life gave us Liberty . Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.” –Thomas Jefferson