“No Shit Sherlock” Judgement Against Sussex County Council’s Prayer Pracice
The Sussex County Council is its own worst enemy. Here is the table of contents from the plaintiff’s argument.
I. The Sussex County Council’s practice of reciting the Lord’s Prayer before Council
meetings is plainly unconstitutionalA. The Lord’s Prayer is a distinctively Christian prayer
B. Sectarian legislative prayers are unconstitutional
C. Even under a more permissive minority view that allows individual sectarian
prayers in some circumstances, the Council’s prayer practice
unconstitutionally affiliates the Council with one particular religion
D. The Council’s prayer practice also violates the Delaware ConstitutionII. The plaintiffs are entitled to a preliminary injunction against the Council’s prayer
practice
The only certain winners in any given news story about Sussex County are lawyers.
But isn’t Sussex County in Jesusland which makes it constitutional on a biblical way?
Good point. Jeff Christopher may have to use his God given super sheriff powers to enforce it.
It really isn’t all of Sussex. It’s sort of Western Sussex and Easter Sussex. But yeah all of Sussex is fairly religious. But I divide it a bit differently.
There are those who wear their religion on their sleeve. Those are the ones who tend to act in an unChristian-like manner. And there those who keep their spiritualism to themselves (kind between themselves and their God). They are the ones that tend to act in a Christian-like manner.
My definition of a Christian is someone who doesn’t feel the need to broadcast their Christianity. Of course that’s my definition of a Muslim, Jew, Hindu, etc. If I can tell what religion you are, then I immediatly suspect you don’t live up to the principles of that religion.
“And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
Jesus said it.
Can we sell Sussex County to Maryland?
We shouldn’t be too hard on them. They are too dumb to know better. Obviously if you lived in a cave all your life, when you eventually came out, you would naturally interpret your new environment by how it corresponded with everything you knew, which was back in the cave…
For example, it is always dark in the depths of a cave, so you would explain day, or sunlight, as a breech in the wall that returns to normal when the rest of us say the sun is going down…
Point is, as long as morons and dumb people are allowed to pray and flaunt their ideas about, so are the rest of us allowed to do the same. The system that protects our free speech is working. And compared to some other countries on this planet, that is a good thing.
Our job is to laugh at them, so the rest of the world doesn’t have to fear for their own safety, like fear we are crazy too… As any CEO or administrative leader knows, sometimes the dumb ideas on the surface, have a gem of truth buried within. Stifling ideas because the “gatekeeper” thinks they are silly, can cost a business a lot in unrealized potential….
So all ideas should be allowed to flourish… And this controversy proves the system is working fine… It is when we can recognize the weeds from our future dinner, that we pull him.
Here’s a start…..
True Representation of Real government in Sussex County…
“If I can tell what religion you are, then I immediatly suspect you don’t live up to the principles of that religion.”
What about a Jew who wears a yarmulke?
Or a Muslim in a hijab?
“What about a Jew who wears a yarmulke?”
“Or a Muslim in a hijab?”
Yep. I applaud substance over form.
Last I heard, God did not have us arriving in a hijab or wearing a yarmulke. Those artifacts, therefore are manmade constructs that are intended to comply with a literal interpretation of another manmade artifact (torah, bible, quran. talmud, hadith) and has nothing to do with one’s communion with God. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, the yarmulke is not even mentioned in the Torah, rather it comes from the Talmud.
So basically, some guy (probably very very holy) decided that Jews should cover their head. Ok and the Pope decided I shouldn’t eat meat on Friday. Manmade constructs which provide a sense of belonging and is commanded by those who are in charge of the group to which one wants to belong. Doesn’t make one a better Muslim, Jew, or Catholic.
Visible religious signifiers don’t ensure the person is not a hypocrite, but they don’t mean s/he is either. You just can’t generalize like that.
Jesus did. (See Matt 6:5) If generalizing is good enough for JC, it is good enough for me.
Well, I am not a Christian. 🙂
Sorry, Dave, but you’re wrong on this. I suppose a Sikh is also evil in your eyes because he wears a turban?
As for wearing a yarmulke, it is a sign of the Convenant between
G-D and Abraham, that there is something higher than man. While I don’t wear a yarmulke 24/7, I do when I enter a synagogue or temple. You seriously cannot paint entire religions with such a wide brush because of what adherants wear.
And the last I heard, Catholics only have to refrain from eating meat during Lent.
Oh, and go read the comments over at WGMD on the story they published on the lawsuit. Hilarious and scary at the same time.
Pretty crazy comments over there. I’m not sure how some of those people got access to a computer.
“Sorry, Dave, but you’re wrong on this. I suppose a Sikh is also evil in your eyes because he wears a turban?”
Hey wait a minute, I did not say anyone was evil. What I said was, and I quote myself here, “If I can tell what religion you are, then I immediatly suspect you don’t live up to the principles of that religion.”
Note the word “suspect” Note that I did not pass absolute judgment. And note that as you well know I am not an absolutist and that I was speaking generally. I have Jewish friends, some who keep kosher and others who keep Christmas. Some wear their religions on their sleeve and others keep it in the synagogue. Most are very fine folks, whether or not they are wearing a beanie. I don’t judge them whether they wear it or not, but I don’t give them any credit for wearing it and suspect that it is often for show, just like those who have the need to pray at county council meetings or school board meetings. My Convenant with my God is my business and He doesn’t require me to show. He only requires me to act.
Hey Dave, I understand what you are saying. However, I just want to point out, with all due respect, that the contention “My Covenant with my God is my business” is based on Christian assumptions about the nature of religion as individual, rather than collective. Based on that phrase, I would suspect you are Protestant, except that you say “He only requires me to act,” which makes me think Catholic, since the Protestants emphasize belief over action. In contrast, it is a central part of (some versions of) Islam and Judaism for people to dress a particular way. Different religions are different. They all contain both hypocrites and upstanding members.
Dave is imposing his beliefs on others. He believes revelation is man-made. Others may disagree.
I do not believe in revelation. But, I respect that others interpret revelation as a G-d-given mandate.
Dave is just sharing his view of religion.
@Valentine: Didn’t mean to offend. Just pointing out the foundation of the argument.
@MJ “Oh, and go read the comments over at WGMD on the story they published on the lawsuit.”
Couldn’t find it. Was it recent?
@Dave – you have a sheriff question?? did DSP reject our Sheriff ?? – email MJ at this site – you will get your answers
@LE – here you go:
http://www.wgmd.com/?p=41712
its buried in the half-assed way they do news stories there
Yes, I was just sharing my views.
Yes, I am Catholic (but I get PO’d at the Church like all good Catholics)
I’ve never actually had a revelation, although I’ve had few Ah Ha! moments.
And I never ever impose my values and beliefs on anyone, because my values and beliefs are mine and I don’t like to share. Everyone else has to discover their own values and beliefs.
Bottom half of Sussex County used to BE Maryland. Heathen should stay the hell up in New Castle County.