No such thing as ‘second-class’ faith, White House asserts

[rug]

Lauren Markoe | December 17, 2015

WASHINGTON (RNS) Amid rising rhetoric and crimes against American Muslims in the wake of recent terror attacks, the White House on Thursday (Dec. 17) broadcast a counter message about religious pluralism.

“There are no second-class faiths in the U.S.A.,” Melissa Rogers, head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said at a forum on American religious pluralism in a building next to the White House.

But lately, some Americans have been eager to showcase their anti-Muslim attitudes.

After terror attacks committed by Muslims in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has said he would not vote for a Muslim for president. Mosques have suffered a spate of vandalism.

http://www.religionnews.com/2015/12/17/no-thing-second-class-faith-white-house-asserts/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ofbnp/about

[Yorktown]

1. Yay! Soon Pastafarian prayers at the White House.

[Skittles]

2. I need to meet a Pastafarian in real life

LOVE them!

[Yorktown]

3. Blessed be thee, bother Skittles

Try googling the local chapter of our great church near you?

May pesto be upon you always.

[Skittles]

4. I just may do that

but....that's SISTA SKITTLES please

[Yorktown]

5. Noodles are asexual.. ;)

..but point taken, sister Skittles.

[rug]

7. No, Obama is not an idiot.

[Yorktown]

8. Why do you insult my religion?

The OP says all religions welcome at the WH.

Why not mine?

bronze age religion privilege again, is that it?

[rug]

9. Because I am not a mendacious idiot.

And that is explicitly a parody not a religion.

[Yorktown]

10. Well, Pastafarianians are legally entitled to perform religious weddings

So people denying Pastafarianism IS a religion could be accused of being stubborn and bigoted.

Aggressive Pastafarians might call some of these deniers 'mendacious idiots'

but I would condemn such inflammatory rhetoric. Of course.

[rug]

11. No they couldn't, except by those "stubborn and bigoted" against the very notion of religion.

Show me I'm wrong.

Simply answer yes or no as to whether you believe each of these tenets:

1. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, after having existed in secrecy for hundreds of years, came into the mainstream just a few years ago.

2. The Church of FSM is legit, and backed by hard science.

3. Religious texts tell us that humans evolved from Pirates.

4. No one knows what the afterlife really holds, but we are told FSM Heaven has a Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory.

5. We need missionaries: girls, you can dress up as pirate wenches any time of the year,



http://www.venganza.org/about/

Go on now. Unless you're simply trolling, they're easy questions.

When you're done I'll ask you about the Church of Bacon.

http://unitedchurchofbacon.org/

[gcomeau]

14. I'm curious...

...were anyone to answer in the affirmative to your questions, would you refuse to accept the answer?

If so, on what grounds?

[rug]

16. No, A very interesting conversation would ensue.

Alas, there have been several times when Jehovah's Witnesses came to my door and an hour later they'd say, "We must be going now."

[edhopper]

6. I agree with the sentiment

and appreciate Obama saying so. Quite a contrast to the Repukes running.

That said, I hate that their is still a Faith Based Office in the WH.

[Fumesucker]

12. Exactly, that's what we have atheists for

So the theists always have someone to practice their privilege on.

[rug]

13. Who do white male atheists practice their privilege on?

[Lordquinton]

15. Some people refuse to acknowledge their own privilege.

And then turn it around in a twisted parody to make it seem like they're the oppressed ones. To quote Mad Max "Then who killed the world?"

[Fumesucker]

17. Exactly, that's what I was pointing out

The religious almost universally not only fail to acknowledge their privilege, they are completely blind to it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1218215937

The thing is, though, if you tell someone of faith that you don’t believe your child is in heaven, you’re met with confusion, or sad looks, or sometimes even a bit of anger. People don’t understand how or why you wouldn’t want to believe that your child is in a better place. Quite often, they take it as a personal attack on their belief when it’s really more about being honest about your own grief. It’s funny how inconvenient my lack of faith as a bereaved mother can be for those on the outside. (Actually, it’s not funny at all.)

The single most hurtful thing ever said to me was by a family member who was trying to be helpful and console me over a personal tragedy in my life.

[rug]

18. Are you yet able to answer the question in 13?