Thursday, May 20, 2010
religion America: Land of Religious Intolerance
Posted by Rachael Daigle on Thu, May 20, 2010 at 11:24 AM
Every week, the Boise's mayor's office sends the media a transcription of all the calls the Mayor's Hotline has received. People complain about everything from the F35 to their trash service to "the trolley" to their neighbors' yards.
Citydesk spotted a few calls in the latest log from some very un-Christian Christian types. Looks like these callers missed out on a few civics lessons in high school. Especially the part about the U.S. being founded as a place to freely practice any religion. (Then again, there is that whole separation of church and state part, which begs the question: Why are we still praying prior to government meetings?)
Here's what a few locals had to say to Mayor Dave Bieter about Rajan Zed opening a Boise City Council meeting June 8 with a Hindu prayer.
Beth Fain
Invocation: I found out that you plan to have a Hindu pray for the City Council and it’s very
offensive to me. It’s also offensive that you and the City Council had the Ten Commandments
taken out of the park and yet you let this Hindu come in and recruit or whatever it is. It makes
me very angry and upset, and offended. Have a nice day.Anonymous
Invocation: Having the Zen priest come here to open the council meetings with his prayer is a
perfect reason to vote Mayor Bieter out of office.
Kathleen Osman
Invocation: I don’t agree with that Hindu prayer cause we were founded on Judeo Christian
and they’re not even giving Christians equal time. You know, these days we’re getting
persecuted and it just doesn’t seem to be right. I guess it would be o.k. if we were getting equal
time and if these people were paying taxes and are citizens I understand that part, if they are
part of the local government but are you going to open with Christian prayer as well? Where do
we draw the line? What if Satanists then want to start opening up a prayer. Where do we draw
the line? Muslims don’t have tolerance like that. We tolerate to a certain degree but now the
other religions don’t tolerate this country that was founded on Judeo Christian values.
"Recruit." Really? And here's a bit of useful knowledge, Anon: "Zen" refers to Buddhism, not Hinduism. And, finally, regarding equal time for Christians, this is the first Hindu invocation opening a Boise City Council meeting. Although the city doesn't keep an ongoing tally of the denominations to which those offering the invocation belong, city officials say the "vast majority—if not all—are performed by Christians."
Comments (5)
Showing 1-5 of 5
Puh-lease... Christians not getting equal time... My eyes hurt from rolling so hard.
Why are some of these "Christians" so close minded they can't see they share the world with other people with other cultures and beliefs. Many of these "other" people live and work here in the US. (Legally too..... Not to be a bigot or anything but how many Mexicans do you see practicing Hinduism, Buddhism or even something like Wiccan compared to say, Catholicism)
As an atheist, I don't personally see why we couldn't allow a "Satanist" to open prayer for City Council if we allow Christians to do it. In fact I would applaud the balls it would take to perform such a feat and walk away unscathed.
Don't Christians see that what they're saying and doing here is just prejudicial bull$#@% and it's the same kind of mindset that a bigot has towards people of different race. Where's the love Christians..... Isn't that what Jesus and God is all about? That's all you've ever told me since I was a small child...... Where's the walk to back up the talk.....
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And this is why ALL religion should be divorced from state proceedings. Christians can't tolerate anything other than their religion, and it's pretty hilarious to see them bitch about wanting their religion represented above all others. They don't want separation of church and state, and then they bitch when that exact thing would prevent any religion including theirs from being elevated above any other.
I just say ban it all, and everyone can be offended or not offended equally.
Why is Boise conducting religious rituals (prayer) during governing sessions? The fact that this is not universally alarming indicates the degree to which we've neglected our Constitution. Christians do have a narrow, "us, and the rest of the world" view but Mormons even more so.
"Muslims don’t have tolerance like that" I love this line....Seriously? And exactly where did they get this idea from? Maybe the council is sick of representing ignorance and intolerance. I applaud them for opening their doors to something new. However, all religion should be banned in government, plain and simple.
I love the fact that we are giving equal time to other paths of love. At least their is some effort to honnor other traditions. In our capital there is only one type of prayer made and it seems strange giving Idaho's own history of discrimating against religious people.
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