How could any future Democratic President attend a "National Prayer Breakfast" ? Seriously, these

[OnDoutside]

alleged "religious" people are not bearing witness to their God by meekly accepting this asshole. How can it ever be relevant in the future, when they are utter cowards at the time truth and justice need them desperately ?

[malaise]

1. It's all farce

Religion is worst than the worst plague -it has always been "let us prey on the minds of the sheeple".

[OnDoutside]

4. Well said.

[Cicada]

2. Watch this ad from the Lincoln Project on Trump and religion

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Because it's a sacred cow. The moment a Democrat calls it out, or doesn't attend

they will be accused of being godless, an atheist, and an attacker of Christianity. They'd do it to Jimmy Carter if he said the thing should stop.

While there are significant numbers of voters who see themselves as faithful Christians, there will be many who also demand their president looks like that too. They want lip service paid.

[OnDoutside]

5. While you are 100% correct, I would love if the Democratic candidates called them out now, for their

hypocrisy. At least lay the groundwork, by saying "I'm troubled by their silence at a President who is the antithesis of what religion is supposed to mean".

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Yeah, that would be possible - say he's misusing religion for his own personal gain and grievances

and emphasise why the separation of church and state is good for the church as well as the state. Make it into a purely personal matter, at which the president should just be a participant like everyone else present.

[superpatriotman]

7. The don't have to

They could educate the populace on its origins and the shadowy cult behind it (the Family)

[Hortensis]

8. Presumably he or she would honor the words of Jesus

on these things, which are moral principles and behaviors every bit as valid for secularists as they are for almost all religions.

Skipping because some of the nation's religious leaders don't meet our standards, insulting many tens of millions of the Americans the president serves, is not an option.

[OnDoutside]

9. At the same time, didn't Jesus get fed up with the Pharisees, and kick them out of the Temple ?

Your nation's religious leaders (who attended the National Prayer Breakfast) are running with the hare and hunting with the hounds, aren't they ? Surely they're reminiscent of the religious groups in 1930s Germany ?

[Hortensis]

11. The offended people of Jesus's day responded to his

outrageous vandalism, disruption and blasphemy by ultimately having him lynched. We elect presidents to do their jobs properly, not to spit at people's deeply held beliefs as a way of committing national political suicide.

And let's remember that congress organizes this event, with attendees from many nations. By the time a Democratic president insulted congress AND the people this way, he/she and everything we elected him to accomplish as president would already be in bad trouble.

The president is a very special speaker, of course, and that provides an important opportunity to deliver needed messages of morality and duty. But not Trump style to slap at people, rather in principled leadership to uplift.

[PJMcK]

10. This is how a "real" president would behave

My wife tells me repeatedly that "The West Wing" is a fairy tale. Whatever.

In the pilot episode, President Bartlet demonstrates the way to deal with hypocritical Christians.

If only life imitated art...

[maxrandb]

12. I wouldn't stop going

but I'd bring a bunch of abortion providers and pray for them.

I'd bring the Parkland survivors.

I'd bring victims of police violence.

One day would be devoted to the women abused and assaulted by Donnie Shit for Brains.

It's not time to end it, it's time to use it to play hardball.