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| Celtic Radio Community > Philosophy & Science > My Sentiments, Exactly! |
| Posted by: CelticRose 20-Dec-2004, 05:06 PM |
| I don't know if this was the right place to put this, but I so wanted to share this somewhere. Paul Harvey & Prayer > > "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. 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 and to pray before we go to > sleep. Our Bible tells us 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! God > bless > us one and all, especially those who denounce Him. God bless America, > despite all her faults, she is still the greatest nation of all. God bless > our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship > God. May 2004 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God > back as the foundation of our families and institutions. |
| Posted by: Irish Stepper 20-Dec-2004, 05:15 PM |
| I agree completely!!! |
| Posted by: Rindy1202 20-Dec-2004, 07:56 PM |
| I also agree Rose! |
| Posted by: Aaediwen 20-Dec-2004, 08:29 PM |
| I agree, there should be a balance. Don't chastise someone for a muslum prayer in public, don't tell a christian they can't pray in public, and don't make people take down a Christmas tree because you don't believe in Christ! (see another thread on this). If you don't like it, well that's fine. Let others practice their beliefs, and you practice yours. So be it. We all believe differently, every one of us. Simply respect others, please! |
| Posted by: gtrplr 20-Dec-2004, 08:39 PM |
| I think Paul Harvey speaks for a majority of Americans on this. And now you know. . . The rest of the story! |
| Posted by: maisky 21-Dec-2004, 08:06 AM |
| I agree with MOST of what was said here. The United States was based on "Freedom of Religion", which INCLUDES Christianity. We have freedoms built into our constitution that no other country posses. I agree that short prayers before football games are not a bad thing. However, I grew up (Jr. High through High School) in a small town that was about 90% Mormon. A religious majority will tend to dominate everyone else. Our Constituition provides specific guarantees to prevent that. I can understand where folks are coming from on BOTH sides of this issue. |
| Posted by: freekenny 21-Dec-2004, 11:59 AM |
| O'siyo, ~ I just adore Paul Harvey..have been listening to him since I lived with my grandmother in the 70's.. ~ Well, here is yet another bit of my two-cents  I believe the majority has always 'ruled'..it's the individuals that think 'outside the bun' so to speak that usually have the harder of the tymes with their belief system..not that its necessarily a 'bad thing' but, it does challenge and causes for debate..in truth there is no 'winner' when it comes to beliefs and ideas..I don't see having another/alternate belief system as 'taking away anyone's rights' nor is it 'chastizing anyones beliefs'..What the government is doing, well, that is a whole other story..  ~ For the record, having another belief is not necessarily 'denouncing' the God that a vass majority of people tend to worship..for me it's not genderizing this higher entity, it's believing that the 'world and its contents' came about it other ways..it's realizing that the Bible, a fantastic story book of a Great Healer, Jesus, is not without question on some aspects...it's teaching a foundation for those that wish to abide by it..and it allows others to ponder the contents..Just because I have a different belief system than some doesn't mean that I disrespect those who have Christianity or any other belief system..  ~ If individuals wish to pray before 'activities' then fine, but, the ones that choose to leave 'religion' outside of certain public sectors in our society should be given the same respect choosing not to pray as respect given to those that choose to pray..that is what I consider Freedom of Choice... ~One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do..perhaps, but, it is up to the thousands to protest those ways..I see this 'entity' as the government and although we may scream loud, against the government unfortunately it fairs poorly..However, I will never 'lock my beliefs and ideas' up in a box and forever be silent..As Paul Harvey pointed out, 'bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer ..well coming from a Lady that has different beliefs, the same can be said when those with different beliefs speak and share their ideas..if you don't agree with them, that is your right, don't read the words, don't listen to the speaker of these beliefs, but, don't try to 'hush' nor 'hinder' their rights..my belief is this is still a free country, I still have the right to speak, act, think and for the most part choose how I live..I will exercise everyone of these rights until I am no longer here on Mother Earth..it doesn't mean that I disrespect anyone else's beliefs..nor does it mean that I am wrong or my beliefs are 'wrong'..just different from the mainstream..I mean isn't our individuality something that makes this Country a wonderful place to reside in?..doesn't our individuality contribute to the wonderful Country we reside in?..and hasn't it been throughout history individuality coupled with many other aspects, that made this Country the wonderful place it is?..I tend to think so..  ~~Sty-U  |
| Posted by: CelticRose 21-Dec-2004, 03:16 PM |
Well while I strongly agree that everyone should be free to believe what they want and exercise their rights to do so, I think the point that Paul Harvey is trying to make is that many of our rights as Christians are being taken away. Like Aaediwen said, there has to be a balance somewhere and it appears that everybody seems to get offended over everything anymore. Just my two cents.  |
| Posted by: reddrake79 21-Dec-2004, 05:40 PM |
| I agree. I believe no one offends another person. A person chooses to be offended by what someone has said or done. (no offense to elanor roosevelt for buthchering her statment) Some have taken that offense too far. The constitution and declaration of independance never make the assertion that we have a freedom from offense. In a society where many different cultures come together there are going to be differences. People can choose to accept (not necessarily agree with) those differences or be offended by them. Such as I disagree with the idea that our contry was not founded on christian principles, but this is not the thread for that discussion. |
| Posted by: WizardofOwls 21-Dec-2004, 07:49 PM |
| Thanks for posting this, Rose! I agree 100% |
| Posted by: erickbloodax 21-Dec-2004, 09:09 PM | ||
I worked as a Marine Recruiter in a few small Mormon towns. You do not want to get on their bad side, and I wouldn't want to run a store if a Mormon was running the same type of store on the other side of town. However, what you are afraid of would never happen, you will not be forced to join a soft ball team and play every wednesday afternoon. You will not be forced to eat hot dishes in the church basement. The founding fathers put in the clause about the establishment of religion to prevent the european model where the "state" church gets a portion of your income right off the top like some kind of holy IRS. Now in Detroit Muslim prayers are broadcast over loudspeakers, kids in California spend a week in school learning about Ramadan. But let some small town put a manger scene on the courthouse lawn and the ACLU pops a gasket. To many of us this looks like the establishment of a religion, the religion of big government. I think there are a few people out there, who attend church on Easter and Christmas, who will suddenly find themselves burning with righteous indignation if they think they are being told that they can not worship. |
| Posted by: reddrake79 22-Dec-2004, 10:23 AM |
| actually the seperation of church and state is not found in the constitution or declaration anywhere. What you will find are referances to God. In the early years of the united States, some state coffers were used to help pay the expenses of local churches (usually of a specific denomination). The idea of seperation of church and state was mentioned in a private letter from Thomas Jefferson to a lady who was concerned about the Government requiring everyone to go to a specific church (such as the anglican church in England, or Catholic in Rome) Many people have taken this idea much further than was intended by Mr. Jefferson. One amendment reads, "Congress shall make no laws concerning an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free excercise therof." My understanding of this is that Congress shall make no laws about religion, weather promoting or prohibiting. There are currently many rules and laws in public places tht prohibit the free excercise of religion, all because people get offended at something they don't like. Many of them specicifically directed at Christians (or at least it seems that way). Some of these attempts just seem rediculus, like trying to take "Under God" out of the pledge of allegience. Face it, america has a distinct christian heritage. It was the Catholic, protestants and other christian denominations that escaped to America from Religious persecution. Many of the pilgrims were trying to go to a place that they could raise their children according to their religous beliefs. Many of the principles of the constitution were taken from the old testament. The most quoted book during the congresses that were deciding the wording of the constitution was the Bible. A few of the state representatives were ordained ministers and preachers. People may not like it but to try to get rid of it is rediculous and smacks of leninist and Stalinist communism. Who changed the history books to fit their ideals and eliminated people from pictures when they fell out of favor. America has done somethings I don't Like, but I don't try to change history because I don't like it. |
| Posted by: Haldur 25-Dec-2004, 09:58 AM |
| This is a wonderful statement by Paul Harvey. I agree that there has to be balance because freedom is freedom, not restriction! I also agree with the statement that being offended starts with the person offended...I've been offended many times and I might have said offensive things in the past but what is sueing or knocking someone down for that "offense" going to accomplish. It seems that the old law of "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" still applies in a nation that calls itself an advanced, technological society. We have lost the core elements of Christianity in this country and I wouldn't be surprised if it's one day restricted to the point of complete extinction. |