Louisiana lawmakers propose prayer to stop oil disaster

[Hugabear]

Source: CNN

While cleanup crews and technical teams continue efforts to stop crude gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana lawmakers are proposing a different approach: prayer.

State senators designated Sunday as a day for citizens to ask for God's help dealing with the oil disaster.

"Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail," state Sen. Robert Adley said in a statement released after last week's unanimous vote for the day of prayer. "It is clearly time for a miracle for us."

The resolution names Sunday as a statewide day of prayer in Louisiana and calls on people of all religions throughout the Gulf Coast "to pray for an end to this environmental emergency, sparing us all from the destruction of both culture and livelihood."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/20/gulf.oil.spill/index.h...

---

Something tells me this isn't going to make one bit of difference... If there were a god capable of stopping the oil disaster, then he should have been able to prevent it in the first place. IMHO, it's bad enough when people turn to some imaginary being to try to solve their problems. It's even worse when you have elected officials doing so in flagrant violation of the Constitution's separation of church and state.

[ixion]

1. *facepalm*

Oy, Jeebus.

[Jamastiene]

95. I wonder if God will be able to hear them over

all the people in churches praying their team makes it to the Super Bowl next time around.

[SusanaMontana41]

107. This may be slightly off topic ...

I don't mind people talking to god. I do mind when people think god is talking to them. Dubya is example No. 1.

[The Straight Story]

2. Freedom of religion, not from it. And I would piss on a sparkplug if it would help (nt)

[Hugabear]

4. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"

That applies to the states as well. As well as their intentions might be, it's still making a law respecting an establishment of religion.

[Adsos Letter]

18. Just curious, but does this actually come under the heading of establishing a law?

I am assuming (always dangerous) that this is a Resolution for a voluntary day of prayer? Not sure that falls under the restrictions of the First Amendment (without knowing more about Louisiana's proclamation).

Madison, certainly a proponent of Church/State separation, in 1822, wrote:

"There has been another deviation from the strict principle in the Executive Proclamations of fasts & festivals, so far, at least, as they have spoken the language of injunction, or have lost sight of the equality of all religious sects in the eye of the Constitution. Whilst I was honored with the Executive Trust I found it necessary on more than one occasion to follow the example of predecessors. But I was always careful to make the Proclamations absolutely indiscriminate, and merely recommendatory; or rather mere designations of a day, on which all who thought proper might unite in consecrating it to religious purposes, according to their own faith & forms. In this sense, I presume you reserve to the Govt. a right to appoint particular days for religious worship throughout the State, without any penal sanction enforcing the worship." Letter to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822

It seems as though Louisiana's proclamation would fall within Madison's parameters, being subject to voluntary participation, and not open to any breach of equal protection; but I may very well be wrong on this. it appears to come under the heading of voluntary resolution, rather than mandated law.

[Hugabear]

19. I would rather government stay completely out of religion altogether

I'll let the courts decide what is and isn't technically a violation. However, it certainly doesn't look good to have the government passing resolutions endorsing religious practices.

[papadog]

21. There's so much work to do and this is what they spend thier time on?

[Adsos Letter]

25. Yes; this is all they are spending their time on.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Adsos Letter]

30. Nice try. n/t

[Adsos Letter]

23. As a lifelong supporter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State

(my adult life, anyway) and as a member of a church whose religious liberty department actively (and I mean ACTIVELY; as in, they put large sums of money and legal work into promoting Church/State separation, and legally defending ANYONE they believe has been a victim of discrimination) I agree with you that Government should stay out of the religion business, and religion should stay out of the governmental business.

But when it comes to the Constitution, the First Amendment, and Equal protection, technicality is exactly what is in play.

Government has been declaring Days of Thanksgiving, prayer, etc. since at least the time of John Adams (who, I will admit, came too close to mingling church/state for my taste) and, as far as I know, the Court has upheld these as substantially different than what is technically, or even in the spirit of, the strictures of the First Amendment. And long may those strictures stand.

[Adsos Letter]

27. And Barry lynn, of AU, seems to agree with you

The Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, praised Judge Crabb’s ruling.

“This decision is a tremendous victory for religious liberty,” he said. “Congress has no business telling Americans when or how to pray.”

I guess I'll have to think on this more; still, it just doesn't seem to me that Louisiana's proclamation abrogates even the spirit of the First Amendment. Back to the books on religious liberty and the Constitution for me, I suppose.

[Adsos Letter]

28. Here is a link to a thought-provoking article on the constitutionality

of proclaiming National Days of Prayer:

Federal judge: National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/0415/Federal-...

barry Lynn sides with this judges opinion, so I may have to rethink this one.

[cstanleytech]

71. IMO no it doesnt apply since its not a law.

That aside it is imo also a complete and utter waste of time to even put this thing to a vote when they could be working on things that might actually accomplish something.

[jonnyblitz]

20. WRONG WRONG WRONG. freedom of *AND* FROM.

don't even TRY to leave out the *FROM*. many of us want NOTHING to do with that SHIT.

[Adsos Letter]

24. You are free from it; the proclamation is VOLUNTARY

and is of the type engaged in periodically since the Nation's founding. You are not being required to take part in anything.

[Iowa]

55. No, nobody is free from it...

We are ALL forced to live with the negative results of religiosity in government... a belief-system the government endorses and propagates via such proclamations.

Religion has no place in government.

[No Elephants]

94. Taxes paid for that proclamatioon. Even apart from that, all these proclamations make it very hard

for people holding your view to claim that government is not establishing belief in a Supreme Being as the official belief system (faith or religion) of this country. I would not put things like this solely under the Free Exercise Clause, but would include the Establishment Clause.

[Adsos Letter]

115. I'm glad you read my post #27

as you can see, my "view" is undergoing some re-evaluation.

[bongbong]

42. The latter would help more

Pissing on a spark plug would actually help MORE than praying to Magic Sky Genie.

[boppers]

87. Okay, I'll call.

How would pissing on a spark plug help "MORE"?

[Zhade]

83. Completely, totally FUCKING WRONG.

NT!

[Jamastiene]

96. Well, you could do that and put it on Pay Per View

with proceeds going to the cleanup down there.

[MountainLaurel]

3. As a friend noted yesterday

"Does this mean they think that God wanted this to happen to begin with?"

[theHandpuppet]

5. Why? Do they think God doesn't know about this already?

Or is this the kind of God you have to beg for help?

[SkyDaddy7]

6. BAD BAD BAD...You are violating the most important tenet of religion...

DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS!! Just go to the beach and talk to yourself and all will be good! GOD LOVES YOU!

GOD allowed this oil spill to happen to punish America for electing a radical Muslim President who was not even born in America! Now we must tell GOD we are sorry and ask him to have mercy and stop the leak!

Praise Jeebus!


...Do I need to to tell anyone this is sarcasm? I hope not.

[papadog]

8. If god wanted to punish America for a "Muslim" President then why didn't happen in DC?

No God hates the Idiots that keep using him for thier own warped agenda.

[izquierdista]

13. He works in mysterious ways

Standard Catholic answer for logical absurdities attributed to God. Now watch him condemn abortion in the U.S. by sending a tsunami to Sri Lanka.

[papadog]

22. LOL, Oh no, God is Gerge W Bush.

[Jamastiene]

98. BLASPHEMY! Hellfire and Brimstone for you!

That's the standard Baptist answer I always heard when I asked questions.

[SkyDaddy7]

53. I was goofing around!

I really hope you did not think I was serious?

Seriously, all joking aside...There is no god! Relax!

[smirkymonkey]

109. And God will stop that oil leak when he's damn good and

ready, no matter how much they pray about it.

[Devil_Fish]

118. The Oil will make it to DC. N/T

[awoke_in_2003]

47. when things are going good...

god is merciful. When thing are going to hell in a hand-basket, he is "testing our faith". It is all part of god's sick, demented plan.

[Arugula Latte]

110. That god sure gets cut a lot of slack.

He gets all the credit, never the blame.

I don't know how people can "believe" in an entity that is supposed to be "love" but is so obviously a murderous asshole that gets its jollies off inflicting death, disease, destruction and Kenny G.

[Jamastiene]

97. NO NO NO, you got it wrong.

"Go the beach and talk to yourself and all will be good! GOD LOVES YOU! "

Nuh-uh.
"Go stand on a street corner and LOUDLY TESTIFY your love for Jesus and all will be good! GOD LOVES YOU!"

[papadog]

7. This MUST mean God Hates Rednecks

Or at least He hates Republicans because these cotastrophies only happen in the Red States-Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Oil spills, you name it. If God wanted to stop this then He/She would, isn't that obvious to them. Why doesn't the Bible Belt get it? GOD IS A DEMOCRAT! Maybe they should vote to stop all efforts to contain the oil spill and not waste the taxpayers money.

How do these dopes get elected? I'm glad I don't pay taxes in Louisiana, I'd be feeling more ripped off than I already do.

[Dover]

9. How about a prayer of praise and thanks to nature for her abundance?

Seems like that engages our hearts.
And heart energy is the engine, not fear.

[Desertrose]

16. Amen to that Dover.

Fear has been driving things for way too long now. It is (way past) time for it to come to an end.

[Dover]

76. A 'good friend' said it so beautifully -

...believe it or not, we are also called to celebrate in the midst of this death and destruction in the Gulf, the wars and hunger ravaging the world, and the fierce imagination of the end of Time. We celebrate life in hard times to ensure our faith in the promise of new Life. We gather and celebrate to energize ourselves, to renew our passion, to engender our purpose. We are called to co-create the future.

..snip..


We need to open our hearts to the wildlife deaths in the Gulf, the oily pollution of our Mother Ocean, the degradation of our Mother Earth. We are called to recognize that we are part of the Earth and one among many of her children. Just as our collective hearts opened after the Christmas tsunami in pain for the loss of human life, let us open ourselves to the pain of Mother Earth.

Let us lead with our hearts and feel the Sacrifice that our Mother Earth is making to teach us an important lesson. The waters of the Earth will be purified once again, but we won’t be here to see it, especially if we ignore the sacrifice and don’t change our ways. We need to honor the sacrifices of the animals and birds and waters by opening ourselves to transformation through our own sacrifice of what is selfish and greedy, unconscious and cruel in ourselves. We have to let go of fear and embrace Love – acknowledging the Divine connection between the universe and all its creatures - not just as an ideal, but as an embodied consciousness.

-- C.P.

[Thor_MN]

113. We need to open our hearts to ... the oily pollution of our Mother Ocean?

I think my doctor would be unhappy with that... My cholesterol is high enough as it is.

[papadog]

32. You mean like the abundance of oil spurting from the bottom of the gulf

[awoke_in_2003]

48. the heart pumps blood...

nothing more.

[Desertrose]

52. Keep telling yourself that.

[awoke_in_2003]

70. I will...

and I will keep telling my self the kidneys filter the blood, lungs oxygenate the blood, and our emotions take place in various parts of our brain. I will trust science over sentimentality or religion.

[Dover]

77. Love and heart wisdom is neither sentimental nor religious....n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

78. emotions originate in the brain...

any other ideas are poppycock.

[Dover]

79. Ideas are indeed poppycock. The heart has a wisdom of it's own that does not involve emotion.

But you can't experience that with your intellect, can you?

[awoke_in_2003]

80. no, the brain has wisdom...

grown from intellect and experience. I give up, you probably think Earth is a mother, too.

[Name removed]

82. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dover]

90. lol! ....n/t

[darkstar3]

123. As soon as you can tell me how the heart thinks,

then you can work on showing us its wisdom. There can be no wisdom without thought.

[No Elephants]

99. You may want to talk to people who have had heart transplants.

[FiveGoodMen]

116. Seriously. If you don't understand that the heart is a blood pump

You either need therapy or remedial education.

Yes, I'll keep telling myself that...

Although it's not likely I'll forget.

[ZombieHorde]

89. An engine that runs on hearts? Morbidly delightful. nt

[Soylent Brice]

92. *snicker*

[Po_d Mainiac]

10. I wanna help god

Where do I send my money?

:dripping oozy red wordy thingy:

[awoke_in_2003]

50. I just happen to know his secret

paypal account- no, really, it is not mine

[Still Sensible]

11. It's just another right wing gotcha setup....

Put this out there... produce faux outrage if potential opponents don't jump on the bandwagon... and VOILA you have your campaign commercial for the fall. Same shit, different year.

[Xipe Totec]

12. Straight from Futurama

Fry: "Is there anything religion can do to help me find my friend?"
Pastor: "Well, we could join together in prayer."
Fry: "Uh huh, but is there anything useful we can do?"
Pastor: "No."

[Soylent Brice]

93. LMAO

[mikeytherat]

100. Straight from The Simpsons:

Nun: "Every day we light a candle and pray for Ronaldo's return."
Marge: "Have you considered actually going out and looking for him?"
Nun: "That's Plan B."

mikey_the_rat

[Xipe Totec]

102. LOL! Also a good one!

[IndianaGreen]

14. We already had churches holding prayer services on the beach

and the oil gusher went on unrelenting.

They pray all they want to their gods, but there will be nothing but silence for an answer. The Holocaust is proof there is no God!

[sakabatou]

15. *facebludgeon*

[Odin2005]

17. Dance to the rain god!

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kestrel91316]

31. They clearly ignore the bible when it's politically convenient to do so:

Matthew 6:6 (King James Version)

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Oh, and fundies, that little order is straight from the lips of your lord, Jesus.

[LibDemAlways]

33. From JFK's inaugural address:

"Here on earth God's work must truly be our own."

[JDPriestly]

34. These prayers have a good chance of working since their

begin will coincide with the completion of the relief wells. Sometimes it is called synchronicity. Sometimes it is called chicanery.

[Ian David]

35. They should pray instead of campaigning.

[Hubert Flottz]

36. I can hear it now...

God, "Is that you Dumplin' Dave?"

Dave, "Yes Gawd It's me again!"

God, "So did you get caught at the whorehouse again, you nasty little dipshit?"

Dave, "No Gawd, I just wanted to see if there is anything you can do to save my state?"

God, "You should have though of all of that before you got caught with your shitty diaper down!"

Dave, "Shit Happens Gawd, I'm really sorry I got caught!"

God, "Paybacks are Hell Dave, even here in Heaven...

[felinetta]

37. Yawn. Once again hoping a fairy tale god will help. I think I'll pray to Santa Claus.

[ooglymoogly]

38. Might as well bay at the moon, for all the good it'll do you.

Taking our dear leaders lead on ill thought out, reckless and useless remedies.

They must be close to plugging the leak from the second drilling, so the "bornagins" and "Christians" can say, see prayer works...."itsa murkle!!!!"...snake oil....snake oil...only a billion dollars a barrel...get your snake oil at your corner red neck, drive in mega church.

[NOLALady]

39. O My.

It didn't work for Katrina.

[kath]

40. Yep - FLAGRANT violation of the First Amendment --

this shit has got to stop. To spend legislative time doing something that is clearly in violation of the Constitution is utter bullshit.

[kath]

41. Hubby suggested that the Leg add a back-up plan to the resolution: if God doesn't come through in 6

months, we ask Santa Claus.

[Curmudgeoness]

43. I wish it could work. I have a feeling many there are already praying.

You know, good god-fearing people. Ain't worked yet. I would put my efforts into technology, skimmers, boons, and people actually working on this. But then again, god works in mysterious ways, huh?

[awoke_in_2003]

44. ...

[Nihil]

103. Not sure if it is your post or Kestrel's .31 that is the best ...

... but they are both pretty damn excellent responses to the event in the OP.

[pattmarty]

45. The whole rest of the world must think we are a bunch of fucking morons.

[Joe Chi Minh]

56. Yes. For putting your faith in big business and little science, instead of faith in your Creator.

It might not be too long before every person on the planet capable of speech gets down on their knees and prays the Our Father every morning. Noon and night too, for that matter.

[DavidDvorkin]

58. You mean, the ancient Mesopotamian gods?

They created mankind from clay, you know.

[Joe Chi Minh]

60. Well, goldurn it! I thunk it were Yahweh.

[DavidDvorkin]

62. He probably started out as one of them

But then left to wander in the desert.

[Joe Chi Minh]

64. That'd be it.

[pattmarty]

68. What the fuck happened to this country?

[trotsky]

108. Tell you what, you sell your computer right now and pray for god to give you a new one.

Put your faith where your mouth is.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

119. You mean, the Rapture?

[darkstar3]

121. And where does that idea come from?

It might not be too long before every person on the planet capable of speech gets down on their knees and prays the Our Father every morning. Noon and night too, for that matter.
What twisted reading of what plot-holed text have you been working with?

Let's play a game: I'll continue my life as normal, while you hold your breath waiting for me to pray the Our Father, and we'll see who lives longer, even testing divine intervention in the process.

[Hugabear]

46. "Dear God: we fucked up your planet. We want YOU to fix it now. Amen."

If they were being honest, that's how they would really be praying.

[Lorien]

106. +1. nt

[salguine]

49. My uncle always used to say,

"Wish in one hand, and shit in the other, and see which hand fills up first."

[katsy]

51. I read this stuff and the 1st thing that comes to mind is

environmental poisons. Toxins that feed on the brain cells of half the people in this country. Maybe more.

We're too stupid to live. These people are mutants.

Sorry world! Go on about your business.

[ozymandius]

54. I remember when some prominent goomers tried to pray down the cost of gasoline.

The price went up. So no thanks. But I appreciate the naive effort.

[truthisfreedom]

57. It makes people who feel powerless feel useful, so it's not all bad.

Have a heart. I'm not a religious person, but the state of Louisiana is truly and royally f*cked, and anything that helps take away their pain is okay with me.

[Name removed]

59. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Zhade]

84. It's delusional self-deception. That's NEVER "not all bad".

NT!

[Arugula Latte]

111. Prayer in place of action is harmful.

And so many religious people think anything that happens is Gawd 'n' Jebus's plan, so they just go along with the status quo, no matter how injust.

[mike_c]

61. superstitious idiots....

[ooglymoogly]

63. Might as well bring out the VooDoo practitioners as well

I think they have a better chance there, especially as it pertains to the perps who caused this calamity of Biblical proportions.

[ooglymoogly]

73. wrong place

[Zhade]

86. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

(Did I just create a feedback loop?)

[glinda]

65. I really resent that they are taking the opportunity to push "prayer" over action.

[AllTooEasy]

66. I suggest throwing Big Oil Repugs into a volcano

Alteast that religious act is practical.

[jmowreader]

67. And this is the prayer they need to say

Heavenly Father:

We, Your children, totally fucked you a few weeks ago by letting stingy bastards drill an oil well in the middle of the ocean on the cheap, and it blew up. We've probably let them destroy our planet. For this we seek Your forgiveness, although you'd be completely within your rights by just telling us to go fuck ourselves and figure this out on our own.

We need three things from You, Dear Father, and we certainly pray you'll be kind enough to bail us out of our own stupidity yet again.

First, we pray that You'll guide the drill bits that are creating the relief wells. Make them sharp. Make them seek their goal as we seek Your eternal blessings.

Second, we pray You'll make the cementing operation a success.

And third, we pray You will smite the entire Republican Party.

To the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

[End Of The Road]

69. I am not a believer, but I don't have a problem with this.

After the Apollo 13 near-disaster, when I read Lovell's book about it and realized how many things had gone wrong, I had to wonder if all that positive energy from millions of people praying for them was what got them home.

[Zhade]

88. You've got to be kidding me.

NT!

[annabanana]

72. Eh. . . It couldn't hurt. . . . . n/t

[DFLforever]

74. I'm not a churchgoer either but imo, prayer has it all over

anxiety, worry and fear. If it can calm people, so much the better.

[ooglymoogly]

75. Oh God hear my prayer....From Big Oil

Hey you up there....listen up! Now that we have recklessly and admittedly, without much of a care, or even much thought really, dealt a severs and catastrophic blow to our planet,(hey shit happens), that would be yours and mine, and all the living things therein. We ask that you fix this mess, toot sweet and without delay, cus we are looking mighty bad down here and taking a lot of heat, and so we can get on with the business of squeezing the last dollar out of the little people. We realize you have your priorities but hey...Do you know who we are? We can turn this planet into an inferno overnight without the slightest care, so I'd tread carefully where we, Big Oil, is concerned. So get it done and we'll keep on keeping the little people in the dark about how science and all the hokey stuff works...too complicated anyway... What have them scientists got anyway?...Proof they claim..... Well Proof don't mean a diddly squat when we control the message....catch my drift?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

81. Why would God help us deal when we obviously need tough love?

Sorry kids, you're screwed! You want help taking care of this? Try talking to God after you get off fossil fuels.

[Socal31]

85. I am ashamed of my fellow DUers.

To make fun of such sound logic is ludicrous.


Just sit back, close your eyes, and talk to yourself, and all problems go away.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

91. sounds like "Pray For A Cure For Cancer"

When I see these billboards, I always wondered how many bellies could be filled.

[mikeytherat]

101. Well, that settles it. It is an "environmental emergency."

And all this time I thought some big corporation's f**k up.

The resolution names Sunday as a statewide day of prayer in Louisiana and calls on people of all religions throughout the Gulf Coast "to pray for an end to this environmental emergency, sparing us all from the destruction of both culture and livelihood."

Bonus Question:
If it is an "environmental emergency," does it fall under the category "Act of God?"

mikey_the_rat

[Courtesy Flush]

104. 'Cause he's done such a good job with hurricanes?

[ladywnch]

105. where is Pat Robertson telling us that this God's retribution on the Gulf (again)

for some imaginary offense.

[Scout]

112. doesn't the lord help those who help themselves? get off your knees and DO something FFS n/t

[and-justice-for-all]

114. ....

[Devil_Fish]

117. Great, if it dosn't work can we please end the debate and just accept that god does not exist or if

he does, he dosn't care about the mess that the stupid humans have made of his world and would rather we all die so he can start over again any way.

[SunnySong]

120. Isn't the prayer group the ones that died on The Poseidon Adventure

Have we not learned anything from Gene Hackman.

[w4rma]

122. The only thing you can do if you refuse to actually *do* anything. Pray to the 'god' of Big Oil.(nt)