Here's the email:
This one is done different from any of the other I have seen. It is neat
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
*insert studio shot of smiling toddler here
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
*insert studio shot of smiling toddler here
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
*insert studio shot of smiling toddler here
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
*insert studio shot of smiling toddler here
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
*insert studio shot of smiling toddler here
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen
*insert studio shot of smiling toddler here
If you aren't ashamed to do this, please pass this on.
Jesus said, " If you are ashamed of me," I will be ashamed
of you before my Father."
Not ashamed. Passing this on
After gagging for three minutes I decided to reply with my own *spam*. Keep in mind this is a coworker who sent this to me.
(coworker name), please don't be offended but I feel the need to respond to your chain letter.
I absolutely don't believe in public prayer in school, unless you mean the kind muttered before a test. Some things you might find interesting:
What the Christian Scriptures say about public prayer:
The author of the Gospel of Matthew contrasted public and private prayer. He recorded Jesus as saying:
Matthew 6:5-6: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men....when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret...."
The reference to go into thy closet has been translated in other versions of the Bible as "go into your inner room." "go away by yourself," "all alone," "your private room," "enter into thy chamber," and "go into your room."
Two of the largest Jewish religious movements in 1st century Palestine were the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus is recorded as having repeatedly criticized both - often with rather hateful and vicious language. Much of Jesus' anger may have been motivated their prayer methods which were very public.
Many liberal Christians interpret Matthew 6:6 literally. Jesus believed that prayers are to be an intensely personal event between a person and God; no one else should be present. Prayer to him was a private matter. Jesus condemns prayers in situations where other people are present. For example: In religious settings like churches or synagogues,
In a private or public school,
In a legislature or municipal government meeting, or
In the street or other public place.
Most conservative Christians tend to downplay Jesus' instruction about the importance of going off by oneself and pray alone and in secret. After all, if public prayer is not permitted, then just about every Christian service is seriously in error, with the possible exception of some by the Society of Friends (Quakers). Conservatives interpret Matthew 6:5 as not condemning public prayer. Rather, it criticizes only that prayer in public that is motivated by a desire to show off. Prayer "may be offered in any circumstances, however open, if not promoted by the spirit of ostentation..." 1
Some commentaries on these passages are:
The Interpreter's One Volume Commentary on the Bible 2 states, with reference to Matt. 6:6 that: "...prayer and fasting are to be purely private acts involving only God and the penitent one."
Matthew Henry's Commentary 3 states: "Instead of praying in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, enter into thy closet, into some place of privacy and retirement. Isaac went into the field..., Christ to a mountain, Peter to a housetop."
Asimov's Guide to the Bible 4 states: "Jesus....decries giving alms openly, praying in public...Jesus points out that if it is human acclaim that is wanted, then...that is all the reward that is likely to come."
What Jesus did in public instead of praying:
The feeding of 5,000 men, their wives and children by Jesus is reported in all four gospels: Matthew 14:13-23, Mark 6:32-46, Luke 9:10-18, and John 6:1-15. Jesus is recorded as performing a miracle, by feeding a crowd which probably totaled 15,000 adults and children with only 5 loaves and two fish. The practice of a communal meal was one of the features of his ministry and of the early Christian church. During and following this miracle, Jesus appears to have been moved to thank God for the food and later to pray to God.
It is notable that he blessed the food in public. All four of the canonic Gospels describe this event. In chronological order:
Mark 6:41: "And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all."
Matthew 14:19: "...took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." (KJV)
Luke 9:16: "Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude."
John 6:11: "And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would."
But then he apparently wanted to pray. So, he went off by himself to pray in private. All four gospel writers emphasize that he prayed alone:
Mark 6:46: "And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray."
Matthew 14:23: "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." (KJV)
Luke 9:18: "And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him..."
John 6:15: "...he departed again into a mountain himself alone."
Jesus' message, displayed by his actions, appears to be that it is acceptable, perhaps even desirable to give thanks to God before a communal meal. But prayer is to be performed in complete isolation from other persons.
How did Jesus Pray:
The Gospels contain many references to Jesus praying, including:
Matthew 14:23: Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
Matthew 26:36-44: Jesus went with three disciples, left them behind and went further to pray alone. This is the well known passage in which his disciples fell asleep at Gethsemane, just before Jesus' arrest and execution.
Mark 1:35: Jesus is went to a solitary place to pray.
Luke 3:21: This passage describes how Jesus was baptized and was in prayer when the Holy Ghost descended. Unfortunately, this passage does not describe how and where Jesus was praying.
Luke 5:16: Jesus is described as often going to lonely places to pray by himself
Luke 6:12: Jesus withdrew to a mountainside to pray. Verse 13 implies that he was alone at the time.
Luke 9:19: Jesus was praying alone, with his disciples in the vicinity.
Luke 22:41-43: Jesus withdrew from his disciples "about a stone's throw" to pray by himself.
John 16, 17: These chapters are ambiguous about the circumstances of Jesus' prayer just before his arrest. He first talked to his disciples; then he prayed, then he went with his disciples across the Kidron valley. It is not clear where the disciples were situated when Jesus prayed. But if he was consistent with the pattern described in other passages, he would have left the disciples behind, and prayed in private.
It would appear that Jesus engaged in private prayer, away from other people. His actions might be interpreted as showing his disapproval of public prayer.
What do you guys think? Do you think she'll get the hint?
PS I lifted all of the above from religioustolerance.org
I am not religious in any way, but I hate having religion shoved down my throat, or into my email inbox. And most of all I hate HYPOCRITES.
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