CURRENT MOON

Thursday, January 13, 2011

It's Odd to Object to Native Americans Praying in, You Know, America

Not surprisingly, conservatives have been criticizing the inclusion of a Native American blessing at last night's program in Arizona. Media Matters has the whole story. Here's an example:
Examiner: "Rambling 'Native American Blessing'...Provided A Stark Statement Of Pantheistic Paganism." A January 13 Washington Examiner column said that while Gonzales has the "right to practice whatever faith he chooses," his invocation was "a rambling 'Native American Blessing'" that was a "statement of pantheistic paganism." From the Washington Examiner's "Beltway Confidential" column:

...[N]o Catholic priest, Baptist minister or Jewish rabbi was included in the program. What was included was a rambling "Native American Blessing" at the outset of the program. This blessing provided a stark statement of pantheistic paganism, including forthright declarations concerning "Father Sky," "Mother Earth" and the "Creator."

Regardless of one's view of Pantheism, its prominent inclusion at the opening of a memorial service on a state-run university campus featuring a lengthy list of public officials would seem, by the familiar expressions of liberal multicultural conventional wisdom, a blatant violation of separation of church and state.

[...]

No one, of course, should question Carlos Gonzalez' [sic] right to practice whatever faith he chooses and to display it in public as he thinks best, or deny that his invocations of his love for America were entirely appropriate and inspiring. We should all be thankful for the service of his son in Afghanistan as well.

That said, it ought to be recognized that his religious beliefs and practices were used by the few to send a message of exclusion to the many, thus illustrating the utter hypocrisy of at the heart of multicultural political correctness. [Washington Examiner, 1/13/11]


The program also included Christian prayers and bible passages read by, for example, Eric Holder, but apparently that's not enough for the Dominionists.

8 comments:

Aisha @The Bewitching Bibliophile said...

Le Sigh these people make my head hurt, it's like they wish everyone who didn't practice the way they do didn't exist, but the second you tell them they can't practice "OMG' full on war is declared. it's enough to make you want to quit being around people.

Lavanah said...

Not to mention the President making sure to mention that ALL the dead attended church...

Anonymous said...

Last night via Twitter during the prayer, Kathleen Parker made sarcastic reference to the words Mother Earth and Father Sky ending with: "Seriously?". To which I tweeted back: "That's exactly my reaction to your television show: "Seriously?".
I was 'that' pissed.

byteb

D.C. Ash said...

Just like people to turn a memorial service into a whine "it's about me and my beliefs" fest. People still wonder why there's so much hate and violence in our country? Try terrible, hate-filled media and mix that with what we call news and politics. I concur with Aisha, makes me want to be in the middle of no where.

Makarios said...

The people who object to Father Sky and Mother Earth don't know their own religion. From St. Francis of Assisi:

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which you give your creatures sustenance.


He continues in the same vein for several verses.

But, of course, that doesn't matter to the bigots. Taking umbrage is their stock in trade, and they're going to find some cause to do so whenever, wherever, whatever. Ho-hum.

Diandra said...

Wow, that's tough stuff... seems there is no way we can all get along, as long as the main bullies decide they don't want to play with us.

(That sucks.)

Nancy Green said...

I was touched and surprised to see a prayer I've participated in at pagan meetings recited at a major occasion. The invocation to the four directions is the opening for prayer by people who practice earth religion. It's so amazing to be included.

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