Any of you that know me know this, and any of you who do not know me now know this: I am a firm believer in the United States Constitution, every word of it. Particularly I believe in the First Amendment, and most specifically in freedom of speech and religion. The United States Constitution, although it contains the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments), is a document that enumerates the responsibilities of the "government" and, more importantly, LIMITS the powers of the government. Further, the Constitution reserves power not given to the federal government to states, or to the people.
Several years after the Constitution was adopted by the several states, the 14th Amendment (and several Supreme Court rulings) have applied most of the Bill of Rights to the states. Thus Freedom of Speech, Freedom to freely practice one's Religion, and the Freedom FROM a State-Established Religion are binding on state governments and even city or county governments.
Flash forward to Phoenix, Arizona in 2016. Just this past week the city council there stopped the practice of opening each city council meeting with a prayer, or should I say a TRADITIONAL prayer. Now the Phoenix City Council will open each meeting with a "moment of silence." In other words - No More Prayers at Phoenix city council meetings!
It seems that the city fathers and mothers would rather have no prayers at all at council meetings than allow the local Satanical organization to have its "turn" at the prayer podium. This is the good and the bad of the Constitution; on the one hand a person is free to practice "his" religion; on the other hand, the bad is that any other person is ALSO free to practice "his" religion (or hers, or theirs, etc.,). A Baptist can pray, a Catholic can pray, a Jew can pray...but so can a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Methodist...and yes, even a Satanist. In Phoenix, the Satanists just wanted to be allowed their turn at the podium. Actually in today's climate in America, it is quite likely that many people would prefer a Satanical prayer to a Muslim prayer! But not in Phoenix. There, no prayers at all are preferable to any "non-traditional" prayer.
Now, please do not get me wrong, and do not misconstrue my personal feelings with my belief in the United States Constitution. For one thing, I do not need any government law or other legal approval to practice my religion. My religion, like yours should be if you are a Christian, means that I will obey the Lord no matter what ANY GOVERNMENT, including my own, might say. For another, my faith is strong enough that one (or ONE MILLION) Satanical prayers or Islamist prayers will not sway me in the least. I do not WANT to hear a Satanical prayer the next time I go to a County Commissioners' Court, but if we are truly following the First Amendment, if a Christian is allowed to pray at the opening of the meeting, a Satanist should be allowed to pray at the next meeting. Then a Baptist might pray, a Catholic might pray, and so on. Instead of allowing this step out into the zone of un-comfort, the Phoenix governors took the right to pray from EVERYONE. No one can pray at a city council meeting anymore there. Ironically, the Satanists are disappointed with this ruling as much as any one else in Phoenix. They wanted a chance to lead an opening prayer. Who knows why? Maybe to shock everyone...maybe just to gain exposure and thus possibly gain new members.
Whatever the reason, the Satanists expressed disappointment, but they also expressed another sentiment, as well. They expressed that their goal in their threat to sue the Phoenix City Council for the right to pray before that group was not to STOP prayer, but to force the Council to allow them a chance to open the meeting with a prayer once or twice a year. The City Council's ruling will no doubt be followed by other cities and counties, state legislations, and maybe even Congress some day. But I wonder, is it so horrible to listen to someone's prayer, someone we may disagree with so profoundly, if the alternative is to be told we cannot pray at all?
So the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States enumerates some of our "inalienable" rights such as the right to practice our religion freely (including Satanism), and the right to be FREE FROM a government-established religion. The good is that we Americans are free to practice whatever religion we want to practice. The "bad" is that we Americans are free to practice whatever religion we want to practice. That means that if one religious group is allowed to pray at an official government (non-religious, by the way) function, so must all other religions be allowed that same freedom. As much as I feel sorry for those misguided into Satanism, as much as I DETEST the fanatical Islamists, I also respect these people in their right to practice their religion. What can anyone say in a five minute prayer that can do anything to me, can harm me in any way, can in any way keep me from the Good Shepherd?
If this situation should arise in Midland, Texas some day, I hope my government leaders will simply put the Satanists or whoever on the agenda, give them their turn at prayer, and go one with their business. Will they have that kind of courage? Only time will tell.
God Bless America...the America that no Satanist or Islamist or any other "ist" can move one iota.
Amen.
Several years after the Constitution was adopted by the several states, the 14th Amendment (and several Supreme Court rulings) have applied most of the Bill of Rights to the states. Thus Freedom of Speech, Freedom to freely practice one's Religion, and the Freedom FROM a State-Established Religion are binding on state governments and even city or county governments.
Flash forward to Phoenix, Arizona in 2016. Just this past week the city council there stopped the practice of opening each city council meeting with a prayer, or should I say a TRADITIONAL prayer. Now the Phoenix City Council will open each meeting with a "moment of silence." In other words - No More Prayers at Phoenix city council meetings!
It seems that the city fathers and mothers would rather have no prayers at all at council meetings than allow the local Satanical organization to have its "turn" at the prayer podium. This is the good and the bad of the Constitution; on the one hand a person is free to practice "his" religion; on the other hand, the bad is that any other person is ALSO free to practice "his" religion (or hers, or theirs, etc.,). A Baptist can pray, a Catholic can pray, a Jew can pray...but so can a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Methodist...and yes, even a Satanist. In Phoenix, the Satanists just wanted to be allowed their turn at the podium. Actually in today's climate in America, it is quite likely that many people would prefer a Satanical prayer to a Muslim prayer! But not in Phoenix. There, no prayers at all are preferable to any "non-traditional" prayer.
Now, please do not get me wrong, and do not misconstrue my personal feelings with my belief in the United States Constitution. For one thing, I do not need any government law or other legal approval to practice my religion. My religion, like yours should be if you are a Christian, means that I will obey the Lord no matter what ANY GOVERNMENT, including my own, might say. For another, my faith is strong enough that one (or ONE MILLION) Satanical prayers or Islamist prayers will not sway me in the least. I do not WANT to hear a Satanical prayer the next time I go to a County Commissioners' Court, but if we are truly following the First Amendment, if a Christian is allowed to pray at the opening of the meeting, a Satanist should be allowed to pray at the next meeting. Then a Baptist might pray, a Catholic might pray, and so on. Instead of allowing this step out into the zone of un-comfort, the Phoenix governors took the right to pray from EVERYONE. No one can pray at a city council meeting anymore there. Ironically, the Satanists are disappointed with this ruling as much as any one else in Phoenix. They wanted a chance to lead an opening prayer. Who knows why? Maybe to shock everyone...maybe just to gain exposure and thus possibly gain new members.
Whatever the reason, the Satanists expressed disappointment, but they also expressed another sentiment, as well. They expressed that their goal in their threat to sue the Phoenix City Council for the right to pray before that group was not to STOP prayer, but to force the Council to allow them a chance to open the meeting with a prayer once or twice a year. The City Council's ruling will no doubt be followed by other cities and counties, state legislations, and maybe even Congress some day. But I wonder, is it so horrible to listen to someone's prayer, someone we may disagree with so profoundly, if the alternative is to be told we cannot pray at all?
So the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States enumerates some of our "inalienable" rights such as the right to practice our religion freely (including Satanism), and the right to be FREE FROM a government-established religion. The good is that we Americans are free to practice whatever religion we want to practice. The "bad" is that we Americans are free to practice whatever religion we want to practice. That means that if one religious group is allowed to pray at an official government (non-religious, by the way) function, so must all other religions be allowed that same freedom. As much as I feel sorry for those misguided into Satanism, as much as I DETEST the fanatical Islamists, I also respect these people in their right to practice their religion. What can anyone say in a five minute prayer that can do anything to me, can harm me in any way, can in any way keep me from the Good Shepherd?
If this situation should arise in Midland, Texas some day, I hope my government leaders will simply put the Satanists or whoever on the agenda, give them their turn at prayer, and go one with their business. Will they have that kind of courage? Only time will tell.
God Bless America...the America that no Satanist or Islamist or any other "ist" can move one iota.
Amen.
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