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To Hindi, or Not To Hindi
I have scant seen more blatant religious bigotry than the reaction of the Family Research Council, a Christian Right stalwart, to the historic prayer of Hindu Chaplain Rajan Zed before the US Congress.
It’s disgusting, and despite (and because of!) its attempt to include Jews under its hateful ideology, it is one of the key reasons I will always see them as a threat to my religious liberty and equal standing in American society. These are the words of an enemy, not a friend.
8 Responses to “To Hindi, or Not To Hindi”
Yes, the whole “Jewish and Christian God” really made me raise an eyebrow. But then, most of the people who take the FRC as fact probably have no idea that the Muslim God is the same as the others. When I was a child and realized this, my first reaction was “well, if they all believe in the same god, what is all the fuss about?” I still don’t get it.
Religious bigotry towards other religions aside, having it be the policy of a governing body to start the day with a prayer goes against separation of church and state. How hypocritical to prohibit it in public schools and indulge in it yourself. I suppose it’s normal if 90% of Americans are religious to include religious ceremony in most official acts (I mean, who cares about atheists, really?) but I could still swear the Constitution had issues with it.
Lynx-
I think the Jewish and Christian God was created to swell the ranks of those opposing the ‘pagans’ in our midst.
It was cynical politics, not religion, that brought them together, I believe.
Domajot, I don’t doubt it at all. In fact, I highly doubt they “came together” one little bit. Including Jews in their statement was just a token to try to pretend (totally unconvincingly) that they weren’t bigots towards every faith but their own, as if they really thought Jewish faith were co-equal to theirs. My objection is that religion is pushed in all levels of government thereby endorsing religion, which is against the Constitution. It’s a parallel point, which in no way invalidates the objection to the blatant inter-religious bigotry on display by these pinheads.
Y’know, I don’t believe in God, but I think there is plenty of historical evidence for a mortal that went by the name of Jesus (however it was said back then). If those really are the things he said, he clearly was a good man who wished people would treat each other with love and understanding, something you don’t need to be a believer to endorse. If I were Christian, I would be endlessly pissed at these people, simultaneously putting themselves up as the champions of Jesus while consistently going against his teachings of love and tolerance.
Lynx-
I think, and worry, a lot about the strange turn religion has taken in the US. I don’t concern myself much about people who believe in a traditional God, as some people just seem to need a supernatural stamp of approval on their life shoices, It is, as you say, the mix of state and church and also an increase in fanaticism that has brought about these ugly episodes.
To be fair, religion isn’t the only dogma playing havoc with the American psyche. For others, their political affilitation is reaching the same heights of fervor as treligious conviction. We’re all about eradicating the sins of others, whether they be religious or political sins.
VEry strange to watch.
I’m waiting anxiously to see the next stage, where this country will go, and I’m hoping for a backlash of moderation, as sometimes happens.
I just want to say that I, too, think that legislative prayer is a bad idea and is probably unconstitutional, and events such as this (and the 4th Circuit’s horrifying Chesterfield decision, which still makes my blood boil two years later) only intensify that belief.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has issued a pretty clear ruling upholding legislative prayer in Marsh v. Chambers, so for now, we’re stuck with it. And in that case, the least we can do is demand a bit of religious diversity in the invocations.
Well, perhaps this nasty scene at a congressional invocation will lead to doing away with the invocations altogether (which would not necessarily be a bad thing).
I wonder how the coverage/outrage would be different the roles had been reversed, a Hindu group interrupting a Christan Prayer. What would the Family Research Council say to that?
Rambie-
The Hindu group would be detained as enemy combatants.