US Senate opens with Hindu prayers; protesters held

[Amelia]

US Senate opens with Hindu prayers; protesters held

IANS

Friday 13th July, 2007

For the first time in US history the country's Senate opened with the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra from the Rig-Veda, the oldest Hindu scripture composed around 1,500 B.C., even as three Christian protesters who tried to disrupt the proceedings were arrested.

Rajan Zed, director of interfaith relations at a Hindu temple in Reno, Thursday sprinkled few drops of water around the podium from the Ganges river, considered sacred in Hinduism and is used at the start of Hindu religious services, before the start of the Senate prayer.

Zed, the first Hindu to offer Senate prayer since its formation in 1787, recited from Brahadaranyakopanisad and Tattiriya Upanisad. Reading from the Bhagavad-Gita, he urged Senators to strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world, performing their duties with the welfare of others always in mind.

Zed clad in saffron with a tilak on his forehead began: 'We meditate on the transcendental glory of the deity supreme, who is inside the heart of the earth, inside the life of the sky and inside the soul of heaven. May he stimulate and illuminate our minds.

'Lead us from the unreal to real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigour. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us.'

'United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be at one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord!' continued Zed closing with, 'Peace, peace, peace be unto all' as the senate prepared for another day of debate over the Iraq war.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid thanked Zed for the prayers and added that Mahatma Gandhi was his hero.

'If people have any misunderstanding about Indians and Hindus,' Reid said, 'all they have to do is think of Gandhi,' a man 'who gave his life for peace'.

Even as the proceedings were on two women and a man in the gallery began protesting loudly against the 'false prayer'.

'Lord Jesus, protect us from this abomination,' shouted one. 'Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight,' screamed another. 'This is an abomination. We shall have no other gods before you.'

Officers from the Sergeant of Arms' office quickly ejected them from the gallery at the bidding of presiding officer Democratic Senator Bob Casey even as they continued shouting, 'No Lord but Jesus Christ!' and 'There's only one true God!'. They were later arrested on charges of disrupting Congress, a misdemeanour.

Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest 'shows the intolerance of many religious right activists. They say they want more religion in the public square, but it's clear they mean only their religion'.

Capitol police identified the protesters as Ante Nedlko Pavkovic, Katherine Lynn Pavkovic and Christan Renee Sugar. An organisation named 'Operation Save America' later said the three were protesting 'as that chamber was violated by a false Hindu god'.

'The senate was opened with a Hindu prayer placing the false god of Hinduism on a level playing field with the One True God, Jesus Christ,' it stated. 'This would never have been allowed by our Founding Fathers.'

For several days, the Mississippi-based American Family Association had also urged its members to object to the prayer because Zed would be 'seeking the invocation of a non-monotheistic god'.

Each day, when the senate is in session, the senate chaplain delivers the morning prayer. Occasionally guest chaplains, particularly from minority religions, are invited to offer a prayer from their faith.

'...Throughout the years, the United States Senate has honoured the historic separation of church and state, but not the separation of god and state,' according to US Senate website.

'During the past 207 years, all sessions of the senate have been opened with prayer, strongly affirming the senate's faith in god as Sovereign Lord of our Nation...'

About thirteen percent of the world's population is Hindu. Currently there are about 800 Hindu religious centers in the US, concentrated in California, New York, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey. Hinduism in North America began in 1830s with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau studying Hindu scriptures, a press release said.

Zed, a journalism graduate from Panjab University, received his master of science and master of business administration from San Jose State University in California and the University of Nevada, Reno, respectively. He is also the public relations officer of the India Association of North Nevada.

[aldona]

It's only fair that if prayer is used to open Senate proceedings, there should be equal opportunity for all religions followed by the citizens that Senate represents.

If Christians don't like that, then they should abolish the idea of prayer in politics altogether. That would be more consistent with the idea of separation of church and state. Now the Christians have some idea about how the atheist or agnostic senators feel, having to sit through daily prayers that they do not agree with, to a god that they do not believe in.

Religious liberty means freedom of belief and practice for all religions, not just the "nice" ones that we happen to like or agree with.

aldona

[bevin]

I can't wait to hear what the first devil worshipper prayer from some South Pacific sect sounds like :-)

Clearly they should stop using prayer at all

/Bevin

[lazarus]

Isn't Barry Black, an SDA, the Chaplain of the Senate. Shouldn't he be just getting SDA's to pray?

[nuff sed]

That's all we need.......An SDA Chaplain "pushing" SDA's in on the Senate. His job is to "live" his beliefs and counsel Senators in harmony with what he believes. I sure am glad that we don't have an Adventist president up there wanting to legislate Sabbath observance.

[Neil D]

That's all we need.......An SDA Chaplain "pushing" SDA's in on the Senate. His job is to "live" his beliefs and counsel Senators in harmony with what he believes. I sure am glad that we don't have an Adventist president up there wanting to legislate Sabbath observance.

Um...and why not? [he asked generically]. It would put all the conservative adventists at ease and at the very least, provide comfort that the Sunday law would not be legislated for at least 4 years....unless he was impeached for imcompentance....or worse...bribery...or heaven forbid, sex!

At best, it would put it off for at least 8 years, and if he evangelized the whole country, could put it off indefinately...provided that everyone was receptive to the advent message...

[David Koot]

It would be more in keeping with the concept of separation of church and state to not have a prayer. If they are going to have a prayer--which is a violation of the principle, IMO--then at least they can be representative of different religions.

Dave

[Neil D]

It would be more in keeping with the concept of separation of church and state to not have a prayer. If they are going to have a prayer--which is a violation of the principle, IMO--then at least they can be representative of different religions.

Dave

Actually, I think that the principle expresses that either you have all religions represented or none...there is no room for partiality. That means, as Dave has expressed, either no religion is expressed in the Senate chambers [much to the delight of the atheist] or all religions, Christian, Hindu, Buddist, Muslem, Jewish, and even Satanists should be allowed to express prayers.

Which results in this country a sediment from Christians leaders that "everyone except Christianity" is allowed to 'promote' thier religion....and which the christian leaders lie to gain attention for thier cause....and promote the myth that the US is a country moving away from it's roots....

[Guest charis]

In a nation founded on Christianity, why should America be beholden to put false gods on par (or above) God? For that is exactly what happened here...

Do Muslim countries let a Christian pray before any of their politcal meetings?

Do Buddist countries let a Christian pray before any of their political meetings?

Do Hindu countries let a Christian pray before any of their political meetings?

To see people ballyhooing how noble and tolerant America is for allowing this, makes me cringe. Political correctness is only so much froufrou - fodder for jokes on late night TV. IMHO

But I may be wrong.

[Neil D]

Quote:

Do Muslim countries let a Christian pray before any of their politcal meetings?

Do Buddist countries let a Christian pray before any of their political meetings?

Do Hindu countries let a Christian pray before any of their political meetings?

Are Muslim countrys afraid of Christianity?

Are Buddist country afraid of Christianity?

Are Hindu countries afatid of Christianity?

The answer is yes. And the reason is that Christianity is so much bigger than thier religion. It shows a never ending love even beyond the grave. It is a truth that can not be turned. It is bigger and better than any religion and it can afford to be tolerant of other religions.

Besides, this country is a country founded on persecution, a form of intolerance. The pilgrams came here so that they may practice thier religion and avoid persecution. Why should others be so persecuted?

[bevin]

No, they are not afraid of Christianity

What they are afraid of is Christians - and with good reason: we have been invading their countries and attacking and killing their people for 1500+ years

/Bevin

[Stan]

I do question at times, if people really believe that prayer really makes any difference or if it is just a show.

[Robert]

2 Corinthians 11:4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

Which Jesus are those who profess Christianity following? Even within Christian circles there is much disagreement....

Our government needs to remain neutral on religious matters.

[bevin]

"if peoplerealy believe that a prayer really makes any difference or if it is just a show"

Both - and the placebo effect is very real

/Bevin

[lazarus]

Do Muslim countries let a Christian pray before any of their politcal meetings?

Do Buddist countries let a Christian pray before any of their political meetings?

Do Hindu countries let a Christian pray before any of their political meetings?

To see people ballyhooing how noble and tolerant America is for allowing this, makes me cringe. Political correctness is only so much froufrou - fodder for jokes on late night TV. IMHO

But I may be wrong.

I think you are wrong.

Doesn't the attractiveness of Christ coem from , His Grace, His love. In the face of intollerance he was tolerant. God is incredibly merciful. God allows human beings to worship their false God's while he seeks to win them.

Political correctness is a good thing. It stops some people being offensive, uncaring, calous. To label something political correct is code for the majority to go back to the bad old days of open unrestrained prejudice.

Disclaimer: I am not necessarily saying that YOU Charis are ofensive, uncaring, etc, just expressing my view in general about the use of the term PC.

[Guest charis]

This is sort of off topic, but it presents a good idea of what I consider to be political correctness (TIC).

Quote:

by James Finn Garner

Macmillan, NY: 1994, 95.

Hansel and Gretel

(from Once Upon a More Enlightened Time )

Hansel and Gretel begins with the two children living in a single parent household, where the father is a "tree-butcher." The father decides to abandon his children, but Hansel overhears him telling this to his analyst on the phone. As in the classic version, the children are left in the woods, only this time Gretel has a level head and suggests that they build a lean-to (as opposed to crying) when she hears of her father's abandonment from Hansel.

Hansel has prepared for their situation by dropping bits of granola along the path. However, the children find survivalists greedily eating their markers. They wander around in the woods and come across a cottage made of sugarless gingerbread and carrot cake. They eat, but are interrupted by the owner of the house who insists that she is a Wiccan and not a witch. She tells the children that she and her companions worship nature, and the children soon become part of their forrest-dwelling community.

In time the children become environmental "activists," blowing up power plants and sabotaging bulldozers. Eventually an international paper conglomerate buys their forest and the forest-people go to protest, but upon their arrival Hansel and Gretel recognize their old home at the center of the corporation's complex. Out steps their father in an Armani suit and surrounded by lawyers, and he offers to relocate the people to a trailer park.

The Wiccan goes into talks with the father, but he ends up bribing her with a position in his company that offers good health insurance. At this outrage, Hansel and Gretel employ a pentagram and "black arts" to cast a spell turning the office complex into gingerbread. They then turn the lawyers into mice, which proceed to eat the gingerbread.

The tree-butcher father is turned into a beaver and the Wiccan into a weasel, and the children live happily ever after.

Just as prejudice can stir up unsavory hoopla from many people, so can political correctness be used to one's own advantage, i.e. politically correct statements made expressly for the purpose of gaining votes in an election year. Political correctness, I suppose, has the potential to be a good thing - if people walked their talk.

But again, I may be wrong.

[Dr. Shane]

Quote:

'Lord Jesus, protect us from this abomination,' shouted one. 'Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight,' screamed another. 'This is an abomination. We shall have no other gods before you.'

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

Seems to me that allowing different religions to offer prayer in Congress is allowing free exercise and prohibiting certain religions from offering prayers could be construed as establishing those allowed as legitimate religions.

Quote:

Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest 'shows the intolerance of many religious right activists. They say they want more religion in the public square, but it's clear they mean only their religion'.

This seems like a political opportunist taking a shot like that. Now if Pat Robertson or James Dobson was behind this protest the remark would be appropriate but a handful of wacky loons shouldn't be unfairly associated with more balanced Christians that are politically active.

[Dr. Shane]

Quote:

Isn't Barry Black, an SDA, the Chaplain of the Senate. Shouldn't he be just getting SDA's to pray?

Anxious for your turn? I think this is the answer.

Quote:

Each day, when the senate is in session, the senate chaplain delivers the morning prayer. Occasionally guest chaplains, particularly from minority religions, are invited to offer a prayer from their faith.

Interesting that now we have a chaplain that is a member of a minority religion.

[Dr. Shane]

Quote:

Christianity is so much bigger than thier religion. It shows a never ending love even beyond the grave. It is a truth that can not be turned. It is bigger and better than any religion and it can afford to be tolerant of other religions.

Indeed! The truth fear not investigation but the darkness need always fear light.

[Planey]

Interesting that now we have a chaplain that is a member of a minority religion.

I didn't realise Christianity was a minority religion in the US.

Or are you suggesting Pastor Black is not a Christian?

Graeme

[Dr. Shane]

We can play games with semantics but Seventh-day Adventists are minorities. Perhaps if one has never lost a job because of the Sabbath or had to take a sack lunch to school in order to avoid meat or specifically pork, they might feel like they are part of the majority. I have been in both situations. I was actually ordered to work on the Sabbath and refused twice while in the Army. Believe me, I understand what it means to be a religious minority.

[Dr. Shane]

It is likely because Barry Black is of a minority religion that he invited this Hindu to offer the prayer. Probably not a coincidence there.

[Planey]

These are not semantics.

Christianity is a religion. Seventh-day Adventism is a denomination of Christianity, so you can comfort yourself that you are part of a minority denomination and enjoy your "persecution".

If you lived in a Muslim country, even a "friendly" one such as Saudi Arabia, then you would find what it is like to be part of a minority religion. It is much different to what you enjoy in the US. Claiming to be part of an oppressed minority religion while enjoying the freedom of your country makes a mockery of those trying to be true Christians in many other places in the world.

Graeme

[Dr. Shane]

70% of Americans claim to be Christians which really brings into consideration the entire issue of semantics. Mormons, Christian Scientists (of Scientology), Jehovah Witnesses and many people that do not even attend church once a year will claim to be Christians.

Playing games with semantics can lead to all kinds of conclusions. A study done ten years ago showed that only 44% of Americans attended any kind of church on a regular basis. So by that definition, religious people themselves would be a minority in America.

In discussing prayers offered by religious minorities in the US Senate a context must be considered. That is, religious minorities in the US. How religious minorities are treated in China or Saudi Arabia has no bearing on prayers being offered in the US Senate and thus to inject it into the discussion is to go outside of the discussion's context.

Religious persecution in the US is not on the same scale as other nations. That is true. Religious persecution in the US is of a different nature. Those of us living here, especially those of us belonging to a religious minority, can be very grateful for that. For many years Catholics were discriminated against in the US as they were a minority and looked down upon by Protestants. It was difficult in some areas for Catholics to find employment. In Utah, many Mormons would not hire non-Mormons. The Equal Opportunity Act has done away with a lot of the open discrimination that use to take place. Yet many of us that are minorities have our own tales of discrimination that has taken place since the EOA was passed.

Like I said, I think it is no coincidence that Barry Black is a religious minority and was the first to ask a Hindu to offer a prayer in the Senate. From an Adventist perspective, I would say such an act was a good thing for religious liberty in the US.

I am still wondering if Lazarus is waiting for his call from Barry Black