US Capitol/Flickr
In Washington, DC, events, rallies, and protests are exceedingly common, especially around Capitol Hill and the National Mall. What's far less common are events in Statuary Hall.
And yet, as my friend Rob Boston reported, that's one of the things making a prayer rally on Capitol Hill today interesting.
On May 8, a group called Come Pray With Me plans to hold a prayer service in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
This is kind of a big deal. Statuary Hall isn't some sort of public facility that anyone can use. Groups have to get permission from the congressional leadership to hold events there, and it's not often granted.
So what is Come Pray With Me, and why does it merit this honor?
As it turns out, the prayer rally is a project of Dan Cummins, who leads Bridlewood Church in Bullard, Texas. Its official congressional sponsor is Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), and given the limited access generally made to Statuary Hall, the event has effectively been endorsed by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), whose office had to give its permission.
Cummins is an odd character in his own right -- he's a birther who believes this is a "Christian nation" and that church-state separation is a communist idea -- but the guest list for today's Come Pray With Me is equally disconcerting. Rob's report added, "They include Jim Garlow, a California pastor active in Republican politics who has openly endorsed candidates from the pulpit; Bishop Harry Jackson, a Maryland preacher known for anti-gay activism; Alveda King of the extreme anti-abortion outfit Priests for Life and David Barton, the Religious Right's favorite pseudo-historian."
I'm curious about why, exactly, the House Republican leadership is willing to lend these folks Statuary Hall, which is rarely lent to anyone. Would the Speaker's office be equally gracious towards other faith groups or for an atheists' event?
Just to be clear, the point isn't that these religious right figures shouldn't be allowed to host prayer rallies; they obviously should. What's more, whether I find their agenda and/or message offensive is irrelevant. Rather, I'm interested in knowing why this exclusive area of the U.S. Capitol is being made available to fringe, far-right activists, when Statutory Hall usually isn't available to much of anyone for special events.
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Can they bring their guns?
Only if they are wearing halos.
Muslims pray. I think that they should be a part of the 'prayer' event.
I only mention them because I know these folks have a double-standard when it comes to prayer and who can pray and so forth.
Prove me wrong. Maybe an Islamic prayer group can show up and pray with these Christians and I'll eat crow for it. But if I know them and their 'values' they won't allow it or will try to subvert it.
You beat me to it. I'd like to see a bunch of Muslims pray together in public in order to promote religious tolerance and expose right-wing prejudice. They are on the receiving end of plenty of right-wing bigotry. But of course not just Muslims but Jews, Native Americans, wiccans, atheists.
Oh c'mon...they won't be praying RIGHT!!! (and yes that was tongue in cheek!)
You could always call Gohmert [ (202) 225-3035] and Boehner [(202) 225-0600] and ask 'em.
Yeah, in a building entirely Roman in spirit, pagan Rome. That proves America is a Christian country, our official style embraces Roman paganism and polytheism and emperor worship.
Come prey with me...
The hall is beautiful, is it not? Perhaps the Freedom From Religion Foundation can have its next event there... since Congress is now allowing it to be used.
I wonder if it's available for bat mitvahs?
Or available for brises
"he's a birther who believes this is a "Christian nation" and that church-state separation is a communist idea --"
So while he supposedly believes in "the Constitution" he glossed over that part about church-state separation. I suppose he also missed that part of the bible where Jesus says "to treat others as you would wish to be treated. So "christian" of him.
With a republican responsible for access government facilities, aren't all those buildings now part of the 'Church of the GOP?'
Was this kept under wraps? Why are we now just hearing about it? Are they going to pass the donation basket, too?
Anyone else getting a creepy "crusades" vibe from this? Sort of like how all kinds of religions usurp other faiths' gods, pantheons, and traditions to convert "the other" to "The True Faith"?
I wonder if Jesse Lee Peterson will be there to repeal the 19th amendment?
lol. "Statutory". Might want to edit that one... unless it was intentional?
Seriously, am I the only one who finds that to be a rather unfortunate typo?
You know why, Steve.
I find this a complete outrage!
Oops, I messed up here.
Isn't outrage a daily occurrence with Republicans?
It's way past time for the people who use religion to push political ideas to pay taxes.
I'm sure Fox will televise it.
so, it's time to request the use of this hall from Boehner for a secular event. Surely, the new executive director of the Secular Coalition of America can do it since she's such a good Republican? http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2012/05/08/transcript-of-interview-with-edwina-rogers/
or maybe not, seeing just how evidently clueless she is. Sad that the SCA chose her.
You know what? I wouldn't care if it were an Episcopal service--and I'm a cradle Episcopalian. Religious services don't belong in the Capitol building. The relative crazy of the clerics and their flocks is entirely beside the point.
I was flipping the channels...saw your "show" and was appalled at the fact that you said, "someone named,Alveda King", in one segment! You do realize that She is a niece of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and daughter of the late civil rights activist Rev. A. D. William King, Sr.
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago it's the Roman Catholic church (when Ms. Maddow could not figure out the key difference factor in this years presidential races). We've had to put up with Evangelical Christian yahoos since even before President Kennedy, but not both. This year is different ... which Christian denomination do Boehner and Ryan belong? The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and any number of other key elected and civil servants. Yep, RC's. They've convinced the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (or vise versa) to play politics this time (or from now on) to help defeat President Obama. Remember Peoria, Ill. Bishop Jenky don't you. CoJo
Wolves in the hen house.
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." --Sinclair Lewis
"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power" -- Benito Mussolini.
what a bunch of @!$%#ing bull@!$%#.
I wanna host a "Don't Pray With Me" event there
I wanna host a "Don't Pray With Me" event there.
All people should watch the DVD 'Theolgians Under Hitler'. America truly is closer to Germany right before Hitler took power, than when the founding fathers of America, (though flawed in their own ways) created the country. If you think mentioning Hitler makes my argument void because of the "dramatics" used usually when his name in invoked, I accept your apology prior to you watching the mentioned DVD, knowing you will agree after. BTW, there are two book under the same title, one that is basically the book version of the DVD and the other was published a few years ago, and is the bases for the second book and DVD, however written by different Author. Please watch/read:
'Theologians Under Hitler: Gerhard Kittel, Paul Althaus and Emanuel Hirsch' (http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300038897). By Robert Ericksen "Robert Ericksen is a renowned historian of the Holocaust.
His book Theologians Under Hitler (1985) was widely acclaimed, and was made into a documentary in 2004: ‘Theologians Under Hitler’ DVD: http://www.theocracywatch.org/theologians_hitler.htm
-=-=-=-
"Hitler Was a Christian - The Holocaust was caused by Christian fundamentalism: History is currently being distorted by the millions of Christians who lie to have us believe that the Holocaust was not a Christian deed. Through subterfuge and concealment, many of today’s Church leaders and faithful Christians have camouflaged the Christianity of Adolf Hitler and have attempted to mark him an atheist, a pagan cult worshipper, or a false Christian in order to place his misdeeds on those with out Jesus. However, from the earliest formation of the Nazi party and throughout the period of conquest and growth, Hitler expressed his Christian support to the German citizenry and soldiers. Those who would make Hitler an atheist should turn their eyes to history books before they address their pews and chat rooms.
Considering that Christianity has thus far been incapable of producing an unbiased, educated follower which speaks the truth, (I haven’t encountered any), I have been forced to dispel the myth by writing this essay. It is not until I bring up his speeches, my personal info on the Nazi regime and their tactics that a Christian will begin to question what their clergy told them. (I am the offspring of a German soldier. My Opa served under Hitler in WW2 and my father was raised during the time of the Nazi regime. This is important information to take into consideration for I am privy to some info that most Americans do not know. It is common for American media and education institutions to lie to their citizens concerning Nazi Germany.) So, in presenting this information I must break it into four parts: 1) Facts about Hitler and his involvement with the Church. 2) How the Church was the catalyst for anti- Semitism. 3) Facts concerning how the Nazi regime drilled these beliefs into Germanic society. 4) Quotes Hitler made which prove he had a disdain for atheism/occultism, upheld his Christian faith, and hated Jews due to his Christianity". Continue: http://www.evilbible.com/hitler_was_christian.htm