Texas mayor defends belief that women shouldn't lead public prayer at City Council Meeting

[Demovictory9]

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Texas-mayor-defends-belief-that-women-shouldn-t-15288655.php

DALLAS — Wylie, Texas, Mayor Eric Hogue says he believes women can do “anything and everything” — so long as they don’t lead public displays of religion.

Hogue is defending his beliefs after the release of an email in which he requests that only male members of a Christian missionary group say a prayer before a City Council meeting.

The exchange between Hogue and the city’s mayor pro tem, Jeff Forrester, was posted Wednesday on a Facebook page that focuses on the city’s politics.

On Sunday, Hogue replied, saying it was a good idea — as long as “those leading the public prayer be young men.”

----------

The mayor also quoted a passage from 1 Timothy that says, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

Hogue wrote that he has always asked for men to lead invocation, while acknowledging that “not everyone may agree with me, but I can’t go against my conscience.”

[7wo7rees]

1. Wylie is a little shit suburb in North DFW. Just to the east of Plano.

This jag off is an aberration, but typical of -MAGAats all over North Texas. Just damned deplorable!!

[Demovictory9]

2. ignorant mayor is getting roasted on twitter

[7wo7rees]

3. Super!! As well he should be. That level of flat out ignorance even

stunned us. We don't do Twitter but it is nice to know he is. Personal opinion? He should step down or be removed immediately.

[Hortensis]

4. Hope he comes out of this with a better understanding that

most citizens do not believe their mayor's role includes imposing his religious beliefs on them. This should not BE a matter of conscience for him as it's out of his perview, but it should be for the voters.

Apparently he's been getting away with it for some while before blabbing in writing about it in the internet age. He's been mayor since 2008. Or could be he's just gotten bolder as the party of white male Christian supremacy has become more aggressive.

[jberryhill]

8. "Most citizens do not believe"

I do not know what most citizens in Wylie, Texas believe.

Clearly, they elected this jagoff as their mayor.

[Hortensis]

10. I kinda do. Religious extremists are small minorities everywhere

but religious communities they establish for themselves alone. That's because its basis is in personality, and most just aren't prone. Even in TX or in my blood-red GA Bible belt town.

But maybe just consider that half are women and that being foolish enough to put this in writing everyone can see is causing this mayor trouble, and that should at least provide a couple of jumping-off clues -- without even considering that men are far less likely than women to adopt strict religious views that depart radically from common culture. Again, even TX's.

Did I mention that the white Christian male Republican Party is purging Republican women from elective office these days? To the point, that it's finally being noticed and seen as the hostile threat by conservative women. Their house delegation of 196 has now shrunk from very small to 13 (!), and every one of those 13 is angry and embattled. Being an extremely small minority means no power and, not surprisingly under the circumstances, these minority members have been the targets of a big increase in workplace hostility.

[jberryhill]

13. The "women can't teach" thing is not "extremist"

It’s extremely common among a fairly wide spectrum of conservative Protestant congregations which pretty much dominate the religious landscape in suburban belt areas of large southern cities - particularly in Texas.

It would not surprise me if this were a dominant belief in that area - including among women in such congregations. There is no shortage of women who subscribe to this set of beliefs.

But, yes, the GOP is an ever-shrinking circle.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

5. Why the f*ck are they praying at the council meeting anyway?

Is it in the Bible? If they're following the Bible literally, I don't recall a Commandment, "Thou shalt pray before all public meetings and football games." If they think it's mandatory, can any religion pray? I've got a great one from the "Book of Satan" that would fit right in.

[procon]

7. Exactly!

Get on with the business of governing. If individuals have an overweening need to pray then do so as an individual choice and do not force a unilateral religious belief on the body politic.

[Hortensis]

11. It's like imposing religion by erecting a cross in the town square

or any of the other many aggressive means of claiming America for Christianity they leap to.

Just a few years ago our conservative-dominated Supreme Court ruled that opening civic meetings with prayer was constitutional. People who didn't like that imposition of religion being free to either shut up or to leave and no longer participate in civic events.

[Nature Man]

6. Human filth

[sunonmars]

9. I think he doth protest too much....... "young men"

as long as “those leading the public prayer be young men.” why specifically "young"

[DFW]

12. Well, I half agree with him

Women shouldn't lead prayers at a city council. Men shouldn't, either.

Prayers have no business at a public city council meeting.