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Just a thought to pass along...

Someone Emailed this to me and I thought it was appropriate to be posted here. I hope each of you are touched by it as I was. - Wanlorn

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.

I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game. "But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. And we are in the Bible Belt. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect-somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha..

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer. Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us just to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well..........just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long.. it's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority don't care what they want.. it is time the majority rules!

It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray.. you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right.. but by golly you are no longer going to take our rights away .. we are fighting back.. and we WILL WIN! After all the God you have the right to denounce is on our side!

God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him...

God bless America, despite all her faults.. still the greatest nation of all.....

God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God...

May 2003 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions.

Keep looking up...... In God WE Trust

QUOTE

To have joy one must share it - happiness was born a twin. Lord Byron

along pass thought Just

I understand the concept of this message. We started something like this topic once before on another thread. However, I cannot relate to it really since it is centered around the US which has some 'crazy' laws that distinguish what a person can/cannot do in public. For many other countries including Trinidad, prayer is still a very basic and acceptable form of public opening and relation, but this topic is more relevant to culture and law rather than religion. It also has no relation to LDS Deep Doctrine and is thus moved to the Religious Beliefs and Culture board.

Just a thought to pass along... Beliefs Religious General

I understand the sentiment of your post- and I agree there is often a double standard.  However, I'd like to offer a look at the other side.  Students are not prohibited from saying their own private prayers - just school sponsored ones.  The writer of the letter seems to be saying it is okay for Christian prayers in schools - others can just ignore it.  But what if demographics change and his children become a minority?  Would he feel as strongly about prayer in school if it was Wiccan?

Something you also might find of interest.  I did some research on the Texas case that eliminated school prayer at football games.  The case was brought by a Mormon and Catholic family.  The reason was that students and even teachers were harrassing them because of their faith.  And while they made such a big deal of the football prayer being student led they forgot to mention that a specific religion controlled access to the prayers and actively discriminated against Mormon and Catholic students.  No parent should have to pay taxes to support an organization that excludes their children.  No child should have to be subjected to that sort of discrimination.  

I live in the South - what is known as the Bible Belt - and I know how much some religions "hate" LDS, Catholic and other less common faiths.  I still feel the sting of being called a non-Christian when I visited church with a friend.  This friend didn't stand up for me either.   I think the irony of the situation is the football game case was brought and prayer eliminated because those who claimed to be Christian didn't act that way towards their fellow man.

along pass thought Just

I like your message Wanlorn because it speaks about Empathy and I think this is the whole thing about it, respect and empathy for other's people point of view or religious standards...why someone would be bother so much if somebody is praying? I personally cannot comprehend it. They have all the rights to be in disagreement...fine...but to the point to make a complaint about it, it's hard to understand.

along pass thought Just

Here in America, there is a huge double standard in which I have the right to believe what I chose to believe, say what I believe, and practice what I believe as long as its not Christian. I am not Christian, I am agnostic, but I am so sick of people suing and getting upset because someone said a prayer. Give me a break, you never hear about other religions public practices being banned because that would be politically incorrect. Christians in America that are strong in their beliefs, no necessarily hyper fanatical or anything, are demonized and told to sit down and shut up. Why is it that a moony can hand out flowers, Buddists can issue blessings on me as I walk by but if a prayer gets said at a football game, then some how that violates someone elses rights. It is truly amazing to see double standards at work in America.