3 arrested for protesting Hindu prayer at senate

[SirFozzie]

I have no comment except to say the smear by the Seperatist of Church and State was uncalled for.. it's not typical of the "religious right", it's typical of three folks who deserved what they got, arrest)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Three protesters disrupted a prayer by a Hindu chaplain Thursday at the opening of a Senate hearing, calling it an abomination and shouting slogans about Jesus Christ.

It was the first time the daily prayer that opens Senate proceedings was said by a Hindu chaplain.

Capitol police said two women and one man were arrested and charged with causing a disruption in the public gallery of the Senate. The three started shouting when guest Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada, began his prayer.

They shouted "No Lord but Jesus Christ" and "There's only one true God," and used the term "abomination."

Religious figures from various faiths have said the prayer, which is normally recited by a Christian chaplain.
Barry Lynn, executive director of religious watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest showed the intolerance of the "religious right."

"I don't think the Senate should open with prayers, but if it's going to happen, the invocations ought to reflect the diversity of the American people," Lynn said in a statement.
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had invited Zed.

"I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly father regarding peace," he said after the disruption.

[Karlifornia]

The senate opens with a prayer? How inappropriate.

[miked]

Welcome to Bollywood.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by miked

Welcome to Bollywood.

Nice.

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

The senate opens with a prayer? How inappropriate.

Agreed.

[Celeval]

For the sake of curiosity, I looked these up:

[Congressional Record, 7/12/2007]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today’s opening prayer will be offered by the guest Chaplain, Mr. Rajan Zed of the Indian Association of Northern Nevada.
PRAYER
The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
Let us pray.
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
the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.
Lead us from the unreal to the 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 vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us.
May the Senators strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world, performing their duties with the welfare of others always in mind, because by devotion to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. May they work carefully and wisely, guided by compassion and without thought for themselves.
United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be as one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord.
Peace, peace, peace be unto all.
Lord, we ask You to comfort the family of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
Amen.

[7/11/2007]
PRAYER
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer:
Let us pray.
Eternal Lord God, thank You for Your mercies. You bless us with Your presence and inspire us with new opportunities.
You strengthen us with the gift of friends and protect us from the pitfalls of temptation. You have given us clean hearts and renewed right spirits within us.
Today, bless the Members of this body as they seek to live with gratitude. Use them to open new doors of possibility for the discouraged and to bolster the courage of those sorely tested by life. Make them a force that will unify and not divide, that will heal and not hurt. Give them a sense of partnership with You in seeking Your best for all of life’s seasons.
We pray in Your powerful Name.
Amen.

[7/10/2007]
PRAYER
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer:
Let us pray.
Our Father God, use our lawmakers today as Your instruments. Give them Your wisdom so that they can find solutions to the complex problems that
beset our Nation. Strengthen them to serve and honor You by helping the oppressed. Keep them from fear and frustration as You equip and empower
them to accomplish Your will on Earth.
May they find Your guidance throughout this day by seeking You in personal prayer. When they call, answer their petitions with Your mighty power and guard those who put their trust in You. Replenish their resources with Your peace that passes understanding.
We pray in Your righteous Name.
Amen.

[Celeval]

The last two were from the Senate Chaplain, randomly found htis one by a visiting rabbi:


The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today's prayer will be offered by Rabbi Milton
Balkany, of New York.
______


prayer

The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven, snowflakes windswept to sky-piercing peaks do more than cloak mountaintops in their fine wintry vestments. Their varied crystalline structures speak of how You, the Master Artist, have sculpted our world to exemplify the beauty of contrast. Heartfelt differences are the hallmark of our times. O Lord, help us realize that division need not be the lyric of sorrow but the signature of brotherhood.
In the pursuit of truth and righteousness, disputes can compose verses of hard-won wisdom. Consider the rent of rock running through the Grand Canyon. It is a break, a fissure, a divide miles deep and, yet, is there a sight more majestic? Unity is not sameness, nor is it bland agreement. Only when Moses parted the waters was a nation set free.
We pray, O God, give us strength to grapple for the great good, defend the passion of our convictions, and still retain the devotion of brothers and sisters. Bless all of us in this hallowed hall of lawmaking with clarity of vision so that we may gaze upon the heights of our shared destiny. Amen.

[SirFozzie]

Well now.. folks are actually defending the three.. just.. wow.


Operation Save America’s Flip Benham:

“They thought they needed to go and represent the Lord who made this nation great,” Benham said. The event, he said, is emblematic of the modern tendency of “other religions being held on a par with Christianity. Of course, we have said that is not true, that indeed Christianity is one way.” […]

“When you stand up and are arrested, and the Hindu is allowed to go free, this country has gone upside-down,” Benham added — though when asked, he later clarified that he does not believe people of other religions should be arrested for their beliefs. “Now, why are Hindus allowed here? Why are Muslims allowed here? Because we are a nation that’s free, built upon the principles of almighty God.”

David Barton’s Wallbuilders:

“In Hindu, you have not one God, but many, many, many, many, many gods,” [David Barton of WallBuilders] explains. “And certainly that was never in the minds of those who did the Constitution, did the Declaration [of Independence] when they talked about Creator — that’s not one that fits here because we don’t know which creator we’re talking about within the Hindu religion.”

The American Family Association:

“It is a watershed day in that it brings to mind some of these precedent-setting events like the day that we took prayer and Bible-reading out of school in our country [and] the day that we legalized abortion,” Smith offers. “I fear that while God has been so merciful with our country in the past, events such as are about to happen, like this in the U.S. Senate, is angering a just God. I fear that we bring judgment upon our country with such acts.”

[MrBigglesworth]

I have no problem with these people thinking that theirs is the One True Path, but what is their obsession with having the government legitimize it? Wasn't religion taken out of government because government was corrupting religion?

[astrosfan64]

There is no need for prayer to open the senate. But, if they wish to do so then any faith should have the chance to lead the prayer.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

“In Hindu, you have not one God, but many, many, many, many, many gods,” [David Barton of WallBuilders] explains. “And certainly that was never in the minds of those who did the Constitution, did the Declaration [of Independence] when they talked about Creator — that’s not one that fits here because we don’t know which creator we’re talking about within the Hindu religion.”

That is not actually true. The Indian religion is a monotheistic religion - just like Christianity (which, to some outsiders, may appear polytheistic with its Trinity).

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

That is not actually true. The Indian religion is a monotheistic religion - just like Christianity (which, to some outsiders, may appear polytheistic with its Trinity).

Hinduism is a diverse religion that I think would be fair to say worships many gods of varying levels. Different sects each have their own god that they focus on. I think Smartism is most popular over here, and that is the one with the most gods, so I guess we do have a tendency to view Hinduism as more polytheistic than it really is, but I don't think what the guy said was unfair.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

Hinduism is a diverse religion that I think would be fair to say worships many gods of varying levels.

A very common misunderstanding. All gods are manifestations of the one god. This is explicitly stated many times in various hindi texts.

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

A very common misunderstanding. All gods are manifestations of the one god. This is explicitly stated many times in various hindi texts.

All my standard references (Wiki, Religion Facts) say that there is debate over the mono/polytheistic nature of Hinduism. And doing a little googling, it seems there is a debate among academics as well. I think it is all in how you define 'god'. Plus, in CivIII researching polytheism allows you to discover Hinduism

[Schmidty]

I am tired of christians making Christians look bad.

[Toddzilla]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

Wasn't religion taken out of government because government was corrupting religion?

No. It was - and still is - the other way around.

[astrosfan64]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

A very common misunderstanding. All gods are manifestations of the one god. This is explicitly stated many times in various hindi texts.

Agreed 100%, I work with about 20 indian guys and gals. We talk about this stuff all the time and it was explained to me this exact way you just stated it.