Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell continues the nation's Republican resurgence. Having rolled back gay rights, declared Confederate History Month sans slavery and imposed what amounts to a literacy test on nonviolent felons who want their voting rights back, McDonnell turned his attention to another pressing issue: state police chaplains' freedom to pray publicly in Jesus' name.
Under McDonnell's more secular-minded Democratic predecessor, Tim Kaine, the chaplains couldn't close prayers "in Jesus' name." Now, thanks to McDonnell's move today, they can. Why not let the right-wing Family Foundation deliver the rest of the news? They own it.
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Any day now there will be a rush to buy white hoods in Virginia.
People sometimes speculate, what would Christian conservatives do if they ever gained control of the country.
Take a good hard look. Remember all the things Mike Huckabee said about the Constitution needing to be rewritten to conform to God's law and not man's law? It would get real Old Testament really fast.
Looking at the bright side, maybe illegal immigrants named Jesus will be able to find safe haven in Virginia.
Not likely, PGW, he doesn't like those"illegal's", either. Geez, and we have more than 3 years to go with this man!! And before anyone says it, NO, I did not vote for him, nor did any of my friends.
I think that when it comes to regular police officers being asked to do ICEs job Gov. of AZ has gone too far. If these police officer have reason to pull someone aside, ie breaking any established law that ANYONE regardless of their ethnicity would be stopped & questioned, then requiring a persons ID and focused questioning is to be expected. The day that one of these police officers pulls someone over just because he or she "looks illegal" Arizona is going to be facing one of the largest law suites the state of AZ has ever had! As for possibly taking this the US Supreme Court...lets see...we have a female Hispanic justice, a Jewish justice, a black justice. and one or two that with a good suntan could be mistaken for what Geo. Bush Sr. called "one of those brown dudes'. Sounds like Russian roulette to me!
This comment has nothing to do with the article above.
Being an intelligent, articulate female Jew-Bu, living on the "buckle of the Bible Belt" in southwest VA, for the last year and a half, is a very strange and scary feeling. Every day we wake up and wonder what new right, the Gov and his 'enforcer', the Attorney General, will take away from us. I have never felt more like a fish out of water
Depending on your location in southwest VA., I would suggest that you try to find a UU church (Unitarian Universalist). You will find folk of a similar mindset who are pretty accepting and outgoing that may help that "fish out of water" feeling.
I live in central VA., home to the Falwell's and their "little" empire. Now you want to talk fish out of water.
Personally, I don't think Jesus wants to go back to Virginia. I think he has seen and heard enough hate and bigotry in that state, that he is going to leave it up to you humans to fend for yourself.
While I think everything else he's done is reprehensible, why is this so bad? Is it illegal for a Muslim to say "Allah" ? I personally don't understand why it's offensive to say the name Jesus, just because ignorant people have done terrible things in his name. People have done terrible things in Allah's name. People have done terrible things in Hitlers name. People did terrible things in Voledmorts name. I mean, He Who Must Not Be Named. I digress, and ramble. Now, if we could stop Sarah Palin and her ilk from invoking his name with all of their ridiculousnessl, I'd be all for that, as I'm sure he would be as well.
BTW, Rachel, love you, love your show. we often stay up 'til 1:00 a.m. to catch it.
Take it a little easier on us Christians, though, we're not ALL mean and stupid.
It's called separation of church and state, JT, and the group in question are the Virginia State Police--a state agency. The prayers are supposed to be non denominational and non specific to any religion.
Okay so maybe I'm a little stupid. I really just meant in general, but yes, in a state sanctioned sense, it's not good.
Not stupid, I just figured that you may or may not live in Va. and may or may not be aware of the laws of the state.
I thought I hadn't read carefully enough, but I re-read it and it just says chaplains, not chaplains of what. Hence the confusion. Although, if it's a state sponsored thing, why are they praying at all? Do they begin with "Heavenly Father", or "Dear Supreme Being, if you're really there"? I mean, really, what's the point? Not trying to be a smartass, just figure it's best to leave prayer out altogether.
Crap, I'm going to hell....
Naw. And you're right, the article was vague. I just happen to live in Va. and remember when the original flap happened and it was the SP chaplains that were the "ground zero" of the discussion. I've never quite understood why the need for prayer before a meeting, etc., so, guess I'll see you down below, 'cept I don't believe in down below.
Have a great day! :)