Monday, December 05, 2005

Oh boy, Hear our prayer

Jim Hornback passed this interesting article of his along to me.

In recent months/years, there has been a push by the ACLU and others, to restrict, or do away with completely 'Christian' prayers at public functions, such as innaugurations and installations of public officials, or in settings such as in Congress, state houses, etc.

In lieu of 'Christian' prayers, if there HAS TO BE any prayer at all, then a NON-SECTARIAN prayer is requested, so to not offend anyone who may be of another religion, or an atheist.

According to Websters dictionary, non-sectarian is defined as 'not affiliated with a particular religion'. Prayer is defined as 'a request to God or a god'. Someone smarther than I will have to explain how you can pray (make a request, without defining to whom it is you are making the request. Which is why I contend that non-sectarian is an 'oxymoron', which is defined as 'a combination of contradicting or incongruous words'. Incongruous is defined as not harmonious, disagreeing, or inconsistent. Let me put that all together: Christians are being asked to request, or petition an entity which is not affiliated with any particular religion or of no religion. Why did I add 'no religion'? If I address A N Y God (god), there is a built-in system of belief (or non-belief per the atheists).

Does that not describe oxymoron: a combination of contradicting, or inconsistent or disagreeing words?

So here is my attempt at a non-sectarian prayer -
Hello? Anybody, or anything, there? Or, in case there is more than one of you, to whom it may concern, whereever you (all) are. I address my request to you. If you have any power, any knowledge and if you can, or wish to, blah, blah, blah. I hope my remarks are acceptable to you, as if that matters. I ask this in the name of somebody else, if that would do any good. And all the people said, 'HUH?'