this is so wrong

[cellio]

The House is currently considering a bill to declare a national day of fasting and prayer to seek help from "Providence" in these times of terror and war.

My representative will certainly be hearing from me about this blatant disregard for the separation of church and state. Much as they would like to make it so, we are not a Christian nation -- just a nation with a Christian majority. This has no place in government.

From the bill:

Whereas all of the various faiths of the people of the United States have recognized, in our religious traditions, the need for fasting and humble supplication before Providence;

"All the various faiths"? I don't think so. For starters, atheism can be a "faith" rather than an absence of faith. And I'm not so sure that all of the eastern religions have this concept.

Whereas humility, fasting, and prayer in times of danger have long been rooted in our essential national convictions and have been a means of producing unity and solidarity among all the diverse people of this Nation as well as procuring the enduring grace and benevolence of God;

Asserting it does not make it so. Show me those roots in our essential national convictions, Mr. Akin (the sponsor).

Thanks to magid for the link.

Comments

Re: worse than 50-50

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

See, I'm not so sure about this. Is there the same prohibition on fasting on Sunday for Christians? Because, seriously, I can see that as something regarded as positive and appropriate.

Re: worse than 50-50

[cellio]

I hope that if any Christians are still reading this thread, they'll speak up.

That said, Sunday is the "lord's day" (it didn't start out as the sabbath, I'm told). It's a festive day, like Shabbat is for us. Lenten food restrictions are suspended on Sundays, and I think funerals are never held on Sundays. So I'm guessing that fasting on a Sunday would be considered to be inappropriate, though I could of course be wrong.

Re: worse than 50-50

[rectangularcat]

I think you are right. Sundays are feast days and Fridays are traditionally the fast days but not really a fast and rather a no meat and luxuries day. I remember my mom saying that she hated eating fish every Friday when she was a child. I think that Good Friday may be an all out fast day... not much of an observant am I?!