Pray to Jesus -- Or Else

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-schweitzer/pray-to-jesus--or-else_b_5683013.html

Jeff Schweitzer
Scientist and former White House Senior Policy Analyst; Ph.D. in marine biology/neurophysiology

Posted: 08/15/2014 4:30 pm EDT Updated: 08/15/2014 5:59 pm EDT

I applaud those who retain the strength to fight the never-ending battle against ignorance, intolerance and persistent persecution of rationalists. The latest nonsense comes from Georgia, a state that seems hell-bent on conserving medieval values. A school district in Hall County has allowed a high school football coach "to organize team prayers and promote biblical messages on team documents and pre-game banners."

Coming from Georgia, this is not shocking news. This, after all, is a state absolutely delighted of its efforts to leave the Union of which they are now so proud -- so intellectual inconsistency is hardly surprising. And forget for now the patently silly idea that any god would care about the outcome of a football game. Instead, what has awakened me from my stupor is the odd response to those who objected to the school's, and therefore state's, obvious endorsement of religion. Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) actually accused atheists of "trying to bully" those poor, isolated and tread-upon Christian high school students. Here is the full quote from Collins' Facebook page:

"The liberal atheist interest groups trying to bully Chestatee High School kids say they have a reason to believe that expressions of religious freedom are 'not an isolated event' in Northeast Georgia. They're right. In Hall County and throughout Georgia's 9th district, we understand and respect the Constitution and cherish our right to worship in our own way. This morning, while Chestatee students gathered on their football field to support their school leadership and exercise their rights, unspeakable human rights atrocities continued to happen across the world in places that have no regard at all for religious freedom. It's utterly disgusting that while innocent lives are being lost in Iraq and other places at the hands of radical religious terrorists, a bunch of Washington lawyers are finding the time to pick on kids in Northeast Georgia. I want the football players and all the students at CHS to know I support you, I'm here for you, and yes, I'm praying for you."

This vein of irony is so deep and rich we could be mining this outburst of inconsistencies for years. A Jewish football player would be forced to make some unpleasant choices: leave the team, stay on the team but be singled out as a non-team-playing outcast, or participate in Christian prayer. Who is the bully and who is being bullied? Collins would say the Jew is the bully for questioning his forced participation in prayers to Jesus. According to this worldview, when the overwhelming majority attempts to impose its religious views and practices on a small minority, that majority is exercising its rights under the First Amendment. When a small minority voices objections to the majority's attempt to impose their religious practices on them, the minority is bullying the majority. Irony. Christians can impose their beliefs on others with impunity, such as imposing public Christian prayers, but any effort by non-Christians to express their religious views is a violation of constitutional rights. More irony. Collins' appeal to the Constitution would be laughable if the consequences were not so serious. His support for Christian domination (forced Christian prayer) is in direct violation of the First Amendment rights he so piously cites. Irony yet again.

The deepest irony, though, is the idea that a tiny minority can bully a vast majority. According the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, more than 78 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Only 4 percent are self-proclaimed non-believers (broken into the survey categories of atheists at 1.6 percent and agnostics at 2.4 percent). A Christian complaining about being under attack when submerged in that religion's ubiquitous presence is like a fish in the Pacific Ocean complaining that there is not enough water. A lone rationalist swimming in the middle of the vast ocean of Christianity would be hard pressed to agree that water was in insufficient supply.

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[Gothmog]

1. This reminds me of the Santa Fe case in Texas

Santa Fe, Texas is a little city between Galveston and Houston which was sued for forced prayers at football games. The school was sued and lost a case in the SCOTUS. The plaintiffs were John Does to protect their identities but there was only one Jewish family in the school district and so the idiots assumed that the Jews were the ones bringing the lawsuit. The actual plaintiffs were different families and the Jewish family was not involved. The Houston ADL got involved to protect the Jewish family and it was nasty for a while.

Santa Fe is what is referred to as a sun down city which means that all non-whites need to be out of the town before the sun sets or else.