Taxpayers Billed $800,000 A Year For Prayers In Congress

[Albertoo]

"Over the 15-year period between 2000 and 2015, US taxpayers spent $10 million on prayers in Washington."

Taxpayers Billed $800,000 A Year For Prayers In Congress

American taxpayers are being charged more than $66,000 an hour for prayers said in the US House and Senate. The total cost per prayer, which lasts an average of 90 seconds, is a whopping $1,659.

According to Andrew Seidel of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, who did the math to determine what taxpayers are being charged for prayers in Washington, the total annual bill comes to more than $800,000.

Both the U.S. House and Senate employ a chaplain whose singular duty is to administer prayer. The budget for the House Chaplain’s office is $345,000, while the Senate Chaplain’s office receives $436,886.

Seidel reports that both the House and Senate chaplains earn executive level salaries which are equal to those of high-ranking government officials, (..)

Seidel reports: And even with those fat salaries, the official chaplains let “guest chaplains” deliver many of the prayers—about 40% in the House. (..)

As Seidel explains here, in 2011 the House Chaplain delivered just 104 prayers, lasting an average of 90 seconds each. That’s about 2.6 hours of work. For that he was paid $172,500, or $66,346 an hour.

Over the 15-year period between 2000 and 2015, US taxpayers spent $10 million on prayers in Washington. In the meantime, elected officials slashed spending on essential programs like WIC and SNAP as well as other assistance for the vulnerable.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/04/27/taxpayers-billed-800000-a-year-for-prayers-in-congress/

[Enthusiast]

1. This expensive prayer has not helped congress act in an ethical manner.

I say we drop it.

[Paper Roses]

2. My thought: Pray at home.

Do the business of the people in the House and Senate.
In fact, do any work!

A prayer does not work make!

[Bohunk68]

3. In a Trillion Dollar Budget, this does not even qualify as pocket change.

Even Joe Biden wouldn't think it is a Big Deal.

[fasttense]

7. Yes, in a huge budget it looks like pocket change

Paying $600+ for a toilet seat, $7,000 for a coffee maker or $37 for an average screw isn't much either in an ovestuffed budget.
But it's done NOT to pay for the value of the service or item but to funnel money to your favorite contractor or religious leader. A truely religious leader would do it for free. It's a scam that someone is getting rich off of.

Now let's go cut Welfare and Social Security some more.

[Igel]

11. A true public servant would also do their service for free.

However, very few politicians refuse their salary.

Plus the chaplains do more than just open every meeting with prayer.

http://www.senate.gov/reference/office/chaplain.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives#Ministry_of_Outreach


The military has a chaplain, many schools have a chaplain. Meh.

(Then there's the blatant appeal to Godwin's law: In Hitler's military, the only unit allowed to have a chaplain was the Ukrainian unit formed in the Ukraine.)

[fasttense]

12. I'm pretty sure most people know what a chaplain does

But in case you are wondering what you can do to make a quick $800,000 a year check this out:

"In addition to opening the Senate each day in prayer, Chaplain Black’s duties include counseling and spiritual care for the Senators, their families and their staffs, a combined constituency of six thousand people. Chaplain Black’s days are filled with meeting Senators about spiritual and moral issues, assisting Senators’ staffs with research on theological and biblical questions, teaching Senate Bible study groups, encouraging such groups as the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, and facilitating discussion and reflection small groups among Senators and staff. In order to stay informed of the needs of the Senate community, Chaplain Black maintains a program with a volunteer liaison in each office to assist him. A member of his staff directs this program."

I would be willing to offer my services to do all that for a mere $90,000 a year.

If we are cutting what the poor and elderly get, shouldn't we consider cutting what the religious get?

The military chaplain are not connected to this almost a million dollar a year chaplain.

But seriously aren't chaplains out there preaching love and charity? Why are they raking in almost a million dollars a year? Any normal person would realize how excessive that is.

[SusanCalvin]

4. There are plenty of establishments of worship in DC.

They don't need their own chaplains.

[Scuba]

5. Considering what they've gotten done I hate to think what they're praying for (preying on?).

[mdbl]

6. Religion is big business

and the largest tax scam in this country.

[goldent]

8. Good value for money.

[trotsky]

10. Indeed, what a value.

All those congresscritters got to display public piety and feel good about themselves while they cut foot stamps.

How nice to see you cheering that.

[trotsky]

9. Religious privilege. n/t

[fasttense]

13. Think of how much less expensive it would be if we only allowed atheist into office.

I wonder if the Chaplain gives a rebate when he doesn't have to counsel and be a religious leader to atheist congress critters?

[struggle4progress]

14. Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives

The Reverend Patrick J. Conroy

... During his years of training, Fr. Conroy did practice law for the Colville Confederated Tribes in Omak, WA, representing tribal members in state courts, he represented Salvadoran refugees for the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Immigration Office in San Francisco while studying theology, and again worked for the Colville Tribes helping to develop the case for the Tribes’ treaty fishing rights in the mid 1980’s. He has not practiced law since 1986.

After ordination, Fr. Conroy served 4 villages on the Colville and Spokane Indian Reservations from 1984 to 1989. After a year of working for the national Jesuit Office of Social Ministries in Washington, D.C., he began a career of university chaplaincy, primarily directing student retreats at Georgetown University for 4 years, Seattle University for 3 years, and again at Georgetown for 6 ½ years.

Mid-year 2003 Fr. Conroy was transferred to Jesuit High School in Portland, OR, where he served as the superior of the Jesuit community for 3 years, and began a 7 ½ year stint teaching freshman theology and coaching the school’s Mighty JV II girls’ softball team ...

Fr. Conroy was a competitive runner in college and for a few years after, a recreational runner for many years, and continues to have an interest in remaining physically fit. He plays the guitar, and especially through years of retreat work has learned how to lead sing-a-longs, favoring classic rock and roll.

http://chaplain.house.gov/chaplaincy/index.html

[Major Nikon]

15. Grifters gonna grift