Catholic Chaplain Delivers Politically Charged Prayer In Kansas State House

[Galraedia]

It was just supposed to be a normal non-political prayer delivered by a guest invited by Republican Rep. Mike Kiegerl, but it didn’t turn out that way at all. When Father James Gordon of St. John Vianney Catholic school stood in front of the Kansas House of Representatives, he gave a highly political prayer that sounded distressingly like something that would come out of the mouth of a conservative extremist waging a culture war.

Father James included topics such as abortion, same sex marriage, and religious freedom in his prayer, and angered many in the statehouse, including Republicans. Here is the relevant part of the prayer, via the Lawrence Journal World.

“We ask you to strengthen our understanding of traditional marriage: one man and one woman. We ask you to bring us back to virtuous morals in society, morals that kept us from killing a child in the womb through abortion. We ask you to defend us now in the fight for true religious freedom and freedom of conscience, that seems to be threatened now in the public sphere.”

Members of both parties felt the prayer exceeded the boundaries set by the House, as invited guests who lead the daily prayer are supposed to be neutral and deliver prayers that are free of politics and not devisive. The Journal World reports that “House Speaker Mike O”Neal, R-Hutchinson, said Gordon’s prayer “arguably went beyond” those guidelines,” while “House Minority Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, said the prayer was inappropriate” and “needs to be ecumenical,” which means the prayer is supposed to be a general prayer that unifies. But apparently Catholic leaders didn’t get the memo.

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/03/17/catholic-chaplain-delivers-politically-charged-prayer-in-kansas-state-house/

[MNBrewer]

1. general prayer that unifies: Oxymoron

[starroute]

18. No, there really is such a thing

I don't think prayer belongs in political bodies, but that said, there really are such things as general prayers. They ask God to look over the well-being of the legislature, guide the wisdom of its decisions, and so forth. They don't raise specific issues or take sides.

That sort of prayer is non-sectarian and non-partisan. This was neither

.

[MNBrewer]

27. ask god... that's the problem

which one or ones? gods that care about the petty problems of a legislator when they have the whole universe to run?? It's laughable.

[Arugula Latte]

28. not to mention -- not everybody buys the whole "god" delusion.

[mackattack]

2. Because social issues bring back jobs

and fix the economy.

[sarcasmo]

3. religion does not belong in politics

the only thing that will wake them up is a threat to their tax exempt status.

[al_liberal]

4. Open the door a crack...

This is why religion should never be allowed to intermingle with the state.

[polichick]

5. Republicons, Catholic Church, Evangelicals...

All desperate to keep straight white male Christians at the top of the heap - they deserve each other.

[Iliyah]

19. And Mormons

?

[polichick]

31. Apparently them too.

[LiberalFighter]

6. Chaplains should not be employ to provide prayers

Nor should chaplains be invited as guests to provide prayers in a political/govt setting.

Tax money should not be utilize in any manner that provides any religious organization a way to push their message. If local, state or federal legislators feel the need to have useless clergy provide a blessing or whatever they provide then it should come out of the coffers of the political parties of those legislators. Preferably, it should come out of the pocket of the legislators themselves that is legally their wages.

[RKP5637]

8. +1,000,000 +++ n/t

[RKP5637]

7. And some sometimes wonder why I have absolutely no use for religion. n/t

[RoccoR5955]

15. Just remember that god ain't nothing but dog spelled backwards NT.

[anti-alec]

21. Add me to those who aren't impressed with religion

Me, as a Jewish person, I have no need for religion.

It's boring, it's tedious, and there's always assholes in religion.

It doesn't matter what sect/religion you belong - religion does not fit into me.

I

[riderinthestorm]

9. Oh, it's just a little prayer

says those who don't think anyone should be all bent out of shape about prayer at public gatherings, paid for by public taxes, in public buildings....

[TheMadMonk]

10. Ultimatum to Church. Repudiate publically or submit to taxation. /nt

[Dawson Leery]

11. This is a request to be taxed.

[felix_numinous]

12. What does separation of church and state mean these days?

If Representatives were asked to define it, how would they? This ideal was why so many diverse peoples immigrated to our country in the first place!! So they would be left alone. To get away from oppression.

[TlalocW]

13. How about we add to that mix

And Lord, please let the Catholic Church stop hiding pedophile priests by shuffling them around from parish to parish so that those disgusting perverts can finally be brought to justice and kept away from our precious children.

TlalocW

[madrchsod]

16. you forgot about hiding them out in the vactian

[RoccoR5955]

14. Anyone in Kansas

can report this guy to the IRS, and have his church's tax exempt status taken away. That should teach 'em!

[SunSeeker]

20. Churches should have to pay the same taxes as you and I.

The fact that they blatantly engage in politics (and politics I abhor to boot!) while being supported by my taxes is just salt in an already existing wound.

[joeybee12]

17. Wow, a priest who's out of touch...

Didn't see that coming!!

[MichiganVote]

22. I'm wondering if anyone knows if Kansas went for Kennedy

[ColesCountyDem]

23. No. Kansas went for Nixon/Lodge. n/t

[MichiganVote]

24. thanks

[DallasNE]

25. Does The Catholic Church Not Have

A commandment against bearing false witness?

The other day a Bishop declared that the Catholic Church would not engage in any activity where the person/group they were engaged with did not follow the teachings of the Church. That was the reason for dropping Komen as an organization they would support, because Komen also did business with Planned Parenthood, although the business transaction did not violate the teachings of the Church.

How soon will it be before the Vatican lobbyist starts writing federal laws, or is that already happening? Is the US Constitution now a dead document? It has been shredded in the last 10 years so there is not much left to do except for the establishment of Catholicism as the State religion.

[Arugula Latte]

30. Oh, I'm SURE they'll do the same things for those people/groups that support the death penalty

Yeah, any minute now that'll happen ...

[Initech]

26. Take away their tax exempt status now!!!

[Arugula Latte]

29. Could our next war be invading the Vatican? Please?

"Shock and Awe" on one little section of Rome. At least that would do some good, unlike our other wars.