In 1864, a group of sailors were castaway in Auckland Islands, some 300 miles south of New Zealand. Very few had survived shipwrecks in that area and one such group was led by Capt. Thomas Musgrave of Britain. Eight days…

I don’t get much joy from the fact that we’re not as bad as the worst examples in other parts of the world or oyher periods of history.

A grade of C is passing. Rather than stop there, we can achieve more and rise higher by striving for a B or an A.

IWhile Christianity was the predominant religion, even all the way back then the more enlightened realized the dangers of identifying one religion or belief with government.

I think it is to the detriment of our nation that the principle of exclusion (we have the right belieds and you don’t) is still upheld. .

Out of respect for believers, a few moments of silence to pray or meditate or count the panes in a window would accomodate everyone and excluse no one.

Official stamp by the government on paganism??

They’re the tiny minority that discredits itself and is used routinely by dishonest religious bigots in the USA — who demonize anything about religion and the so-called Religious Right. In fact it’s no different than those who thought the Civil War was God’s wrath on this country for straying from the good and true, and who proposed the constitutional amendment that I find amusing to this day — which would change the Preamble, which is not law (it’s a familiar refuge of losers who have nowhere in the body of the Constitution they can claim justifies a given thing the federal government does), but which would make those religious activists happy then, and which makes fools nowadays aghast (grow up, please — even if it were sought today it would hardly be a crisis, just something to be resisted or accepted as seen fit):

We, the people of the United States, humbly acknowledging Almighty God as the source of all authority and power in civil government, the Lord Jesus Christ as the Ruler among the nations, his revealed will as the supreme law of the land, in order to constitute a Christian government, and in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the inalienable rights and the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to ourselves, our posterity, and all the people, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

and regarding Congressional debate on this issue:

Now, sir, nine tenths of the people of the State of Illinois believe that there should be in the Constitution of the United States, or at least in the preamble to the Constitution of the United States, a recognition of the supreme authority of God and of the Christian religion; and, sir, they do not intend to be put off by the inaction of Congress, by the negligence of Congress. If there is anything in conflict with the Constitution in this, let it so report. Stacks of petitions almost mountain high must be in the rooms of that committee. If it is to deprive a certain class of persons who do not believe in the Christian religion of their rights, and thus conflict with the Constitution of the United States, or with the amendment; to the Constitution of the United States, let the committee so report, and let the people understand this question..

So far as I am concerned. I must say that this nation is too much indebted to the Christian religion for its national superiority for it to ignore Christianity. This is the religion which aroused our fathers in the old country and caused them to migrate to this continent and to lay here the foundations of religion and freedom. It crossed the ocean with our Pilgrim fathers; it has carried our institutions to the distant frontier; it has erected temples dedicated to the true God. The spirit of its philanthropy has filled our land with colleges and school. Its benevolence has established institutions for the relief of the disabled and the diseased, and for the amelioration of our race. And now, sir, nine-tenths of the people of my State demand that there shall be an amendment to the Constitution by which the supremacy of God shall be acknowledged by this great nation to that Being to whom we are indebted for all that we are — for our successes in many wars, and for the establishment of equal rights and liberty throughout the land

.

A small minority overreacted this time, that’s all. Calm down, grow up. The last time they did this was probably when Hillary Clinton had some New Age or “indigenous” [sic] faith healer perform a rite of some sort at the White House. B F D

If there needs to be prayer, it should be silent.

Even that is attacked by the idiots in this country.

Sorry, I was hoping for a higher marker for this country.”

Well actually if you think its so easy for that to happen I suggest you take a look around the world. The fact is throughout history and in much of today what happened in the House is an exceptional event. The fact we merely expect it to be so says a lot about the success of our laws and way of doing things.

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PW07G02
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=LH07G02&f=WX06L01

So much for a religion of inclusion, did Tony ever hear about the “eye of the needle”?

Is that our bottom line criterion now?

Sorry, I was hoping for a higher marker for this country.

According to US Senate website, “…Throughout the years, the United States Senate has honoured the historic separation of Church and State, but not the separation of God and State…During the past two hundred and seven years, all sessions of the Senate have been opened with prayer, strongly affirming the Senate’s faith in God as Sovereign Lord of our Nation…”

Where to begin? I guess it’s too much to hope to expect government at the present time to recognize that calling God “Sovereign Lord of our Nation” is in itself an endorsement of religion and prohibited in the constitution.

Here’s a novel idea, bring a biologist to the floor, say Richard Dawkins himself, and have him read the scientific method aloud. There are sure a hell of a lot more atheists in the US than Hindus, and it’s our country too, dammit. Bonus would be getting our senators to hear the scientific method, something some of them sorely need.

These folks were employing their Constitutional right to make complete and utter asses of themselves.

What will they do now they have succeeded?

Man, today just goes to show that there are some people that just give religion a bad name.

If there needs to be prayer, it should be silent.

Tomorrow’s planned Senate opening invocation by a Hindu chaplain is being called a “watershed” moment in the history of the United States — but not for good reasons. A spokesman for the American Family Association says it represents an official stamp by the government on paganism, a move which may draw God’s anger according to biblical example.

Official stamp by the government on paganism??

Paganism?

And some of the comments on the post by the American Family News Network..

This is just another sign that THE END is nearer and nearer. May our GOD have mercy on us all.

Wishful thinking on that dudes part if you ask me.