Texas Senate opens with first Muslim prayer.

[Ladewig]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4689041.html

AUSTIN — A Dallas-area imam became the first Muslim cleric to offer the Texas Senate's daily prayer on Wednesday.

The visit raised the eyebrows of a conservative talk-show host turned senator who questioned the religious leader's background and the timing of his visit.

Sen. Dan Patrick stepped off the floor for Imam Yusuf Kavakci's prayer, in which he recited a passage from the Koran in Arabic and read an English translation.

[snip]

Patrick later gave a short speech on the Senate floor in which he called Kavakci's prayer an "extraordinary moment" that underscores that America is a nation "so tolerant of others we bend over backwards to allow others to pray as they wish."

[more]

I kind of like the idea of living in a country that is "so tolerant of others we bend over backwards to allow others to pray as they wish." I'm not sure why Senator Patrick is so bothered.

The callers to the local radio talk shows are so upset that they are having seizures.

 

[thaiboxerken]

The same callers would probably be PO'ed if anyone objected to a christian prayer before a session.

 

[Complexity]

I object to any prayer or other religious observance at any governmentally sanctioned or sponsored gathering, meeting, or event.

 

[Dustin Kesselberg]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4689041.html




I kind of like the idea of living in a country that is "so tolerant of others we bend over backwards to allow others to pray as they wish." I'm not sure why Senator Patrick is so bothered.

The callers to the local radio talk shows are so upset that they are having seizures.

That's because he's a Republican. (I didn't even look it up yet I still know he's a republican)

How sad is it when you can predict someones political allegiance based on their level of ignorance?

 

[hgc]

I don't like this tolerance business. Anyone who claims to be tolerant is at least a little high-handed. The notion of tolerance implies that there is something that is threatening or substandard in some what that needs to be tolerated.

 

[Foolmewunz]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4689041.html




I kind of like the idea of living in a country that is "so tolerant of others we bend over backwards to allow others to pray as they wish." I'm not sure why Senator Patrick is so bothered.

The callers to the local radio talk shows are so upset that they are having seizures.

From the same article....

"I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that," said Patrick, a freshman Republican from Houston.

So what's the problem?
If this was an atheist, we'd be applauding him.
He demonstrated his disagreement with the tenets espoused by the cleric.
Yet, he made a firm statement supporting everyone's right to their own beliefs.

I can't comment on the radio callers, but I don't think I see anything wrong with the junior senator's actions or comments. I may not agree with his views, but there doesn't seem to be anything hypocritical or worthy of my condemnation.

 

[Dustin Kesselberg]

Personally, I don't believe any govt organization should open with any form of prayer. That's just my own personal opinion.

 

[Garrette]

I'm surprised the imam read an English translation of the Koranic verses. My experience with the Islamic is that they will happily read the Koran to you in Arabic but politely balk at translation.

 

[Jekyll]

The headline should have been 'Senator wishes that Texas was more like Iran'.

 

[Beerina]

I object to any prayer or other religious observance at any governmentally sanctioned or sponsored gathering, meeting, or event.

I find it interesting they'd "dance with the devil" like this. After all, Muslims are going to Hell, in their eyes, and this imam preaches ideas that will get you damned to Hell. Would God approve of this trade-off? Is the net effect to save more souls, because Christians get to lead prayers, vs. losing some souls because the imam was able to lead the prayer?

Truly, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

 

[Mephisto]

After reading the thread title, why did I picture the Texas Senate opening with the execution of a Muslim?

 

[Ladewig]

So what's the problem?
If this was an atheist, we'd be applauding him.
He demonstrated his disagreement with the tenets espoused by the cleric.
Yet, he made a firm statement supporting everyone's right to their own beliefs.

I think Patrick is a schmuck because having a Jewish member of the Texas Senate choose an imam when it was her turn to pick someone to lead the prayer is not an example of being "so tolerant of others [that] we bend over backwards to allow others to pray as they wish." Also, as hgc noted: using the word tolerant when discussing a muslim offering a prayer on the Senate floor is rather condescending.

From another source

"I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear to be an endorsement. I think that it's important that we are tolerant of all faiths. That doesn't mean we have to endorse all faiths."

Patrick is also a schmuck for believing that listening to a single prayer offered by someone of a different faith (in a place of employment that has seen daily prayers since its inception) is in any way an endorsement of that other faith.

Same source:

The senator told the assembly that the world must be puzzled by a country that would allow someone to bring a Quran into the Senate while it prohibits a child from carrying a Bible into a public school.

He is not just a shmuck, he is a lying schmuck.

I am against any using any public money to pay religious leaders to pray in local, state, or federal legislative bodies. I'd rather they not pray at all, but I am not overly annoyed if unpaid clergy offer prayers. I am annoyed by people who believe that if they hear the wrong type of prayer something bad has happened. I also find it a little annoying that Christians feel the need to pray in public when the Gospel clearly instructs them not to do so (Matt 6:5-6).

 

[Darth Rotor]

After reading the thread title, why did I picture the Texas Senate opening with the execution of a Muslim?

A daily ritual sacrifice of a Muslim on the state capitol's steps in Austin?

I am trying to find the downside in this.

DR

 

[Cleon]

A daily ritual sacrifice of a Jew Muslim on the state capitol's steps in Austin?

I am trying to find the downside in this.

Amazing, just one word substitution, and a "cutesy joke" becomes completely unacceptable.

Not funny, Darth. At all.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Amazing, just one word substitution, and a "cutesy joke" becomes completely unacceptable.

Not funny, Darth. At all.

I take it you missed the tone of hyperbole in the original. Maybe I should have used a "rolleyes" smilie instead.

PS: Please edit to use the strike function and "fixed it for you" notation to indicate what you did with the original in your pointed reply.

ETA: On second thought, it really was rather discriminatory to single out Muslims in this edition of sick humor.

Mondays, sacrifice a Muslim
Tuesdays, a Mexican
Wednesdays, an Anglo
Thursdays, a Black
Fridays, a Jew
Saturdays, an Oklahoman (This is Texas, after all)
Sundays, a day of rest, but a is optional.

There, a nice egalitarian ritual sacrifice in the name of good government. The sacrificees would of course be chosen by lottery. They'd be required to scream

"It's not fair, it's not right"

just before the guillotine blade falls.

Happy now?

DR

 

[Dr Adequate]

So, I see that all the dhimmis in the US are sliding inexorably down the slippery slope towards shari'a law. 'S 'cos all Americans are cowards you know ...

Sorry, I couldn't resist it.

 

[firecoins]

Accodring to the US Contitution, there is suppossed to be a separation of church and state. I think this can be extended to Mosque and state.

I don't want Allah or Jesus having anything to do with legislation. They already have books of rules I have nothing to do with.

 

[firecoins]

Mondays, sacrifice a Muslim
Tuesdays, a Mexican
Wednesdays, an Anglo
Thursdays, a Black
Fridays, a Jew
Saturdays, an Oklahoman (This is Texas, after all)
Sundays, a day of rest, but a is optional.
DR

You can't sacrafise a Jew of the Jewish Shabbat! Friday night thru Saturday. I demand you sacrafise a Jew on Mondays. Its a tax write off than.

 

[Darth Rotor]

You can't sacrafise a Jew of the Jewish Shabbat! Friday night thru Saturday. I demand you sacrafise a Jew on Mondays. Its a tax write off than.

What a fine illustration on the hazards of mixing politics and religion!

You need to advise your Jewish clients that they can't have Mondays, it's Muslim Monday, Mexican Miercoles, Whitey Wednesday, Talmudite Thursday, 'Fro Friday, Sooner Saturday, and Sunday . . . at these prices, it's the best you are going to get. Sorry, good help is just too hard to find anymore.

With your objection raised, and in the interests of good government, etc. . . .

Mondays, sacrifice a Muslim
Tuesdays, a Mexican
Wednesdays, an Anglo
Thursdays, a Jew
Fridays, a Black
Saturdays, an Oklahoman (This is Texas, after all)
Sundays, a day of rest, but a is optional.

You will note that Amerinds get off scott free, so I have my reservations about this bill getting through both houses of the State Legislature. This is Texas, after all.

DR

 

[frank462]

I object to any prayer or other religious observance at any governmentally sanctioned or sponsored gathering, meeting, or event.

I concur.


.