There is yet another dust up about a city council saying Christian prayers before meetings. Mount Vernon Ohio City Council previously held prayers at the beginning of their meetings then a resident sent a letter of complaint. Once the other people in town heard, then they complained about ending a “tradition”. Add to that mess is the comments the city council president made in a story on a local TV station – that he pledged an oath to God so he sees no problem with having the prayers during the meetings. He’s wrong of course.
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Tag Archives: government
An actual historian misleads about religious freedom
You expect anti-knowledge people like “historian” David Barton to mislead the public about US history especially when it concerns religious freedom. You don’t expect an actual historian to mislead the public. I found one yesterday who tried to defend saying prayers during government meetings. He misses the point of the 1st amendment.
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Church and State Links June 12, 2011
- Texas Gov. Rick Perry Deals With Criticism Over Prayer Event – Christian Post
- McMorran draws your attention – Port Huron Times Herald
- Government and religion – Newnan Times-Herald
- Religion and politics: How should they mesh? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-06-12 – Philadelphia Inquirer
- Bruce’s history lessons: The Great Charter – Appeal-Democrat
- A better way to draw a district – Charlotte Observer
- Farewell, our friend: Sports world honors McEwen – Tbo.com
- Republicans, Ayn Rand, and Satanism? – GroundReport
- Preaching on politics- Britain’s raging debate on Church and State – euronews
- Louisiana House approves Ten Commandments monument at Capitol – Reuters
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Church and State Links June 5, 2011
- The Church vs Mutunga: Fear and loathing of a liberal Supreme Court – East African
- Guest column: Research: Voucher programs don’t work – Green Bay Press Gazette
- Greater separation between Church and state will not work – Times of Malta
- Texas Ruling Banning Religious Terms During Graduation Overturned – Neon Tommy
- Church and state cross at New Jersey high school graduation – Washington Post (blog)
- Earl Ofari Hutchinson: ‘Presi… – Eurweb.com
- “Reconfiguring the relationship between the church and wider society” – Slugger O’Toole
- ‘Daily Show’ gives Palin historical Twitter hashtag – CNET (blog)
- An open letter to lawmakers – Manila Standard Today
- Opposition calls for separation of church and state – The Copenhagen Post
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Australian PM Julia Gillard doesn’t believe in God
I was shocked when I learned that new Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard doesn’t believe in God. This is why I need to live either in Europe or Australia since they aren’t hung up on their politicians and religion. What shocked me even more is she was quoted in an interview by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and it was made public. Good on her and Australia.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has no intention of pretending to believe in God to attract religiously-inclined voters.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd was a regular at Canberra church services and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is known as a devout Catholic.
In contrast, Ms Gillard says that while she greatly respects other people’s religious views, she does not believe in God.
Ms Gillard has been quizzed on personal topics including her attitude to religion and her relationship with her partner during interviews this morning.
She says does not go through religious rituals for the sake of appearance.
“I am not going to pretend a faith I don’t feel,” she said.
“I am what I am and people will judge that.
*Update* After posting this entry I heard that PM Gillard is opposed to gay marriage. Below is a quote and link to a newspaper article that confirms her view. While I am happy that she is an atheist, there isn’t a valid secular reason to oppose gay marriage. Tax implications and protecting children are red herrings and have roots in religious bigotry.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she does not support legalising gay marriage in Australia.
Labor policy on gay marriage will remain the same under her prime ministership, Ms Gillard told Austereo show today.
“We believe the marriage act is appropriate in its current form, that is recognising that marriage is between a man and a woman, but we have as a government taken steps to equalise treatment for gay couples,” Ms Gillard said.
Advertisement: Story continues belowAsked if that was also her personal view, Ms Gillard said it was.
Maybe one day we will have the perfect atheist elected official.
President Obama supports separation of church and state again
Once again, President Obama gave support to the secular focus of our republic, where people of many religions and no religion can live and be free. At his stop in Turkey, another country founded on seperation of church and state, the President made his comments during a press conference.
As Americans United for Separation of Church and State noted on their blog:
The United States was not founded as a Christian nation. Nothing in the Constitution grants Christianity favored status. In fact, Article VI bans religious tests for federal office, and the First Amendment bars laws “respecting an establishment of religion” while protecting “the free exercise thereof” – for all faiths.
It’s good to hear political leaders remind us of this fact from time to time, as President Barack Obama did yesterday during a press conference in Turkey.
Celebrating The Secular: Obama Says U.S. Is Not A Christian Nation