It might be time to start calling them the "Friday Night Heavenly Lights."
A new Florida bill just signed into law explicitly allows prayers to be played uninterrupted over the loudspeakers before high school sporting events.
Now, some Florida schools say they are eager to take advantage of this new policy to spread the Good Word at public school football games this fall.
How exactly did this come to pass, and what could it mean for the future of religion in public schools?
Can We Have Your Attention Please…
Florida House Bill 225 is, on its head, a bill designed to restructure the Florida High School Athletic Association and allow homeschooled students participation in high school athletics.
But squirreled away in the bill is a provision allowing any schools participating in an athletics championship – playoffs, tournaments, etc. – “the opportunity to make brief opening remarks, if requested by the school, using the public address system at the event.”
These could take the form of run-of-the-mill good sportsmanship announcements like “have a good game” or “may the best team win,” and those undoubtedly will be heard.
But the governor’s office also explicitly clarified that this extends to prayer.
“You have a right to free expression of religion,” said Governor Ron DeSantis during his signing of the bill. “If government is denying your right to say a prayer before the game, they are infringing your speech.”
God Takes the Field
At least one school is already anticipating their first public prayer to Jesus once the bill goes into effect on July 1st.
“The next time Cambridge Christian returns to play for a state championship—and we will return—we will pray over the loudspeaker before kickoff,” said the head of Cambridge Christian School, Sean Minks.
There are a couple of additional rules:
- The pre-game remarks cannot be “derogatory, rude or threatening"
- The school must make an announcement that the remarks do not necessarily reflect the school’s opinions
But other than that, the pregame loudspeaker remarks will be unregulated – meaning schools or members of the team are free to engage in any sort of prayer they like.
Too Much Church In the State?
Not only is the bill a violation of separation of church and state, opponents say, but it’s also a thinly veiled attempt to further inject Christianity in public schools.
While there’s nothing in the bill specifically saying the prayers must be from a particular religion, critics argue that Christian prayer will undoubtedly dominate these events; Christianity is far and away the most popular religion in Florida, with over 70% of Floridians identifying as Christian.
What are the odds, critics ask, that a Florida school picks a Muslim prayer? A Jewish prayer? A Satanic invocation? It would seem unlikely.
However, bill sponsor Fred Hawkins rebuffs the belief that this is a means to insert Christianity into schools, pointing out that prayer is just one of many uses the opening remarks could have.
“It could be recognition. It can be retirement of a coach. A lot of things can be used in these opening remarks,” he said.
Jesus Inches Further Toward the Classroom
This is hardly the first controversy over prayer in public schools, nor will it be the last. But it seems the football field has become one popular arena for this fight.
The Florida law comes on the heels of the Supreme Court vindication of Joseph Kennedy, a Washington state high school football coach who was let go from his coaching position after refusing to stop publicly praying on the 50-yard line during and after games.
Lower courts repeatedly ruled against Kennedy, but he appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, where the nation’s highest court ruled that he was unjustly let go. Their reasoning: a public school coach leading his team in prayer did not amount to coercion or endorsement of the Christian faith.
It would appear a similar justification is being used in Florida. Prayer is allowed from all religions, so the law doesn't promote one over another. But what type of prayers will actually be heard? Critics have a good guess.
What is your reaction?
96 comments
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Julie Armstrong
Good for Florida more States need to do that. We had prayer in school growing up and you guess what we grew up with manners and respect. All this kneeling get out of my country. If you're not the same religion as me for the prayer then say your own prayer while we're saying hours. I'm sure I'm gonna get a lot of flack from all my posts today but that's what I believe in I have the freedom to speak what I feel as does everybody else.
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Rev. Rory
You have the freedom to speak. This website is very fair and everyone has a voice. I do wonder about the prayer at your school when you were growing up. Most likely everyone at your school (public?) was the same race/religion. The country has changed. A lot. Shut up and say your own prayer is not a very kind interpretation of how a school or public organization should operate. It makes millions of people into "the other."
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Daniel Todd Kamm
There are no people more "religious" than students about to take a test, sports teams and their supporters before a contest, or a crook going into an IRS audit.... Reb tk
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Rickey Luke
Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
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Steven Frederick Gordon
My guess is that Cambridge Christian is not a public school, but a private one, and as such has every right to Christian prayer, even over the PA.
But if it's a public school, then no, it doesn't.
On the other hand, I'm Jewish and I attended a Methodist private school. I dealt with lots of prejudice. Anti-Semitism came from teachers and students. Violent anti-Semitism only came from students but was not checked by the administration. Public humiliation continued into my Senior year.
I was the only one of 7 sib exposed to macroaggressions. I am the most observant of my cohort, and the most passionately Jewish. And the most passionately committed to righting society's wrongs.
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Oleg Vladimirovich Shmyrin
Florida - go for it! Make God Strong Again
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Rev Ned
^Do they also sing the hymn that goes “🎼 Jesus loves me, but He can’t stand you!”?^
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Bruce Tabashneck
What if fans boo the prayers?
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Lady Mutt Cat
This disgusting state just keeps getting worse. I don't blame decent people for leaving it.
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Rev Ned
🤔With all the hurricanes, torrential rain flooding, red tides, sargasso clumps, and beach shootings, maybe God’s trying to tell them something.
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ServantOfJudgement
It's possible Ned but it may not be for the reasons you're thinking. If we look at California, their culture nicely fits several extinct biblical civilizations. God put them down for their corruped society. California has responded by going deeper into that lifestyle whereas Florida is turning from it.
Two states going in opposite directions. One turning from God and one turning towards God.
If they both stay on track, we can watch the outcome together. Very exciting.
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Steven Ferrell
I have no problem with it. If drag queens can read to kindergarten kids then this should be acceptable in as well. Maybe gut as well allow both extremes.
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Cynthia Louise Leist-Copley
The United States needs to get back to God they've taken God out of everything. Schools work even families you're not allowed to say the name Christ Jesus in public without getting in trouble but you can say every profound word there is and you can call Satan in public how is that fair is that fair he toothpick double toothpicks today no no. If we do not get back to God put God back in the schools put God back in the homes put God back in families hearts. God is going to bring down his wrath so hard the Most High is is going is going to bring his rap down so hard we won't know what hit us. Just like school shootings people say well where was God why did God allow this to happen you took him out of the classrooms you took the pledge of allegiance out because it says under God in one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all you took God out. So what's God going to do God's going to sit back and watch as your actions serve your consequences to you to the whole society even to us those of us that do not believe the way you believe. Matthew 20 States that if you have just the faith the faith of a mustard seed the size of a mustard seed do you realize how small the size the grain of mustard seed is a grain of the mustard seed is it's almost it can fit almost through the eye of a needle. But with that faith and that faith alone you can move the mightiest the mountains was just telling it move or be gone or go over there or go over there and it will go if you have the faith and you believe in God and what God can do and what God will do. With God there is everything, without God there is nothing.!! People if your kids are into drugs your kids are into drinking your kids are into being gangs get on your knees. Pray it in the Most High , for God is the universe and universe is God and he created all. Which means he created each and every one of us in his likeness they're likeness his Christ Jesus and the holy Spirit they're three in one so are we heart mind and soul heart spirit and soul the spirit is what we need to be concerned about we need to nurture our spirits we need to bring our spirits back in alignment with God the creator of everything. Nothing happens unless God says it can or that it will. Get that through your heads people God is omnipient God is omnipresent Omni omnipient meaning he has the beginning in the end of the Omega the first and the last the most important.
God is God is the wrath that is coming down on the United States right now. Put him back in the schools put him back in the classrooms put Bibles back in kids hands teach him who God is teach them what he is all about he is a jealous God yes but he's also and all loving all forgiving father of each and every one of us. He created us he made us who we are and he gave us all his destiny and a life purpose come back to God and find your life purpose change this world around bring it back to God because if we don't. There is nothing there is nothing that's going to help any of us except those that believe in those that pray and those that no what he's going to do and what he's doing. Think about it and I mean really think about it you aren't just created you didn't evolve from apes or reptiles or anything like that we were divinely made divinely put together. And we have a Divine Life purpose each and every one of us has a destiny to bring God's glory here to Earth find your life purpose bring his glory back to Earth back to the people that need it quit being in the meme stage stop being in the me stage everything has to be me first me first nah everything is God first then family second job third than us and if you live that way and you think that way and you believe that way you can change the world one person at a time and that's all he asks is one person at a time change the world change one person and you change a whole community change one person you change a family change that family you change that community change that community you change the society change the society and we will be one nation under God indivisible with Justice for All and that's what he wants that's what it was founded on and that's what needs to stay is that this world this country this country was founded by the pilgrims in the Quakers that wanted to worship God the way they wanted to not the way the Queen of England wanted him to and the King the way God wants us to because he is the king of kings the Lord of lords and the prince of peace is Christ Jesus and the holy Spirit will open your hearts and open your spiritual eyes to see what I want you to see see and hear what God wants you to know listen be quiet be still and know I am God that's what he says be still and you'll know what I want you to do for me to bring my glory his glory back to this earth bring his kingdom to this earth that's what we're supposed to do, so why not get busy doing it.
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Timothy Newell
Unfortunately, if our Lord and Savior walked right onto the football field with all His light and glory, some of us will tremble and bury our faces in the ground as John did in Revelation. Others will look and see and like the Israelites in the wilderness led by Moses who saw the manna fall from the skies and the water gushing out of rocks, none of them will believe anyway. I leave it to God to reach the unbelievers.
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Lionheart
It would be nice if there was some real good demonstrable evidence that Jesus was real, and not just stories, and anecdotes, written by some people that never knew him. As for Mr Moses, there is still no evidence he existed, other than some weird stories about him written in a book. 🤷🏼
I wonder if people will wonder of Harry Potter was real in 2000 years time when they read about him?
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Cynthia Louise Leist-Copley
The United States needs to get back to God they've taken God out of everything. Schools work even families you're not allowed to say the name Christ Jesus in public without getting in trouble but you can say every profound word there is and you can call Satan in public how is that fair is that fair he toothpick double toothpicks today no no. If we do not get back to God put God back in the schools put God back in the homes put God back in families hearts. God is going to bring down his wrath so hard the Most High is is going is going to bring his rap down so hard we won't know what hit us. Just like school shootings people say well where was God why did God allow this to happen you took him out of the classrooms you took the pledge of allegiance out because it says under God in one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all you took God out. So what's God going to do God's going to sit back and watch as your actions serve your consequences to you to the whole society even to us those of us that do not believe the way you believe. Matthew 20 States that if you have just the faith the faith of a mustard seed the size of a mustard seed do you realize how small the size the grain of mustard seed is a grain of the mustard seed is it's almost it can fit almost through the eye of a needle. But with that faith and that faith alone you can move the mightiest the mountains was just telling it move or be gone or go over there or go over there and it will go if you have the faith and you believe in God and what God can do and what God will do. With God there is everything, without God there is nothing.!! People if your kids are into drugs your kids are into drinking your kids are into being gangs get on your knees. Pray it in the Most High , for God is the universe and universe is God and he created all. Which means he created each and every one of us in his likeness they're likeness his Christ Jesus and the holy Spirit they're three in one so are we heart mind and soul heart spirit and soul the spirit is what we need to be concerned about we need to nurture our spirits we need to bring our spirits back in alignment with God the creator of everything. Nothing happens unless God says it can or that it will. Get that through your heads people God is omnipient God is omnipresent Omni omnipient meaning he has the beginning in the end of the Omega the first and the last the most important.
God is God is the wrath that is coming down on the United States right now. Put him back in the schools put him back in the classrooms put Bibles back in kids hands teach him who God is teach them what he is all about he is a jealous God yes but he's also and all loving all forgiving father of each and every one of us. He created us he made us who we are and he gave us all his destiny and a life purpose come back to God and find your life purpose change this world around bring it back to God because if we don't. There is nothing there is nothing that's going to help any of us except those that believe in those that pray and those that no what he's going to do and what he's doing. Think about it and I mean really think about it you aren't just created you didn't evolve from apes or reptiles or anything like that we were divinely made divinely put together. And we have a Divine Life purpose each and every one of us has a destiny to bring God's glory here to Earth find your life purpose bring his glory back to Earth back to the people that need it quit being in the meme stage stop being in the me stage everything has to be me first me first nah everything is God first then family second job third than us and if you live that way and you think that way and you believe that way you can change the world one person at a time and that's all he asks is one person at a time change the world change one person and you change a whole community change one person you change a family change that family you change that community change that community you change the society change the society and we will be one nation under God indivisible with Justice for All and that's what he wants that's what it was founded on and that's what needs to stay is that this world this country this country was founded by the pilgrims in the Quakers that wanted to worship God the way they wanted to not the way the Queen of England wanted him to and the King the way God wants us to because he is the king of kings the Lord of lords and the prince of peace is Christ Jesus and the holy Spirit will open your hearts and open your spiritual eyes to see what I want you to see see and hear what God wants you to know listen be quiet be still and know I am God that's what he says be still and you'll know what I want you to do for me to bring my glory his glory back to this earth bring his kingdom to this earth that's what we're supposed to do, so why not get busy doing it.
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Lionheart
Did you have a particular god in mind? Would it be the Christian one? Mankind seems to have created so many, none of which have ever come forward to claim their title.
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Cynthia Louise Leist-Copley
I left the comment and I disappeared but in short this world in this United States especially unless you want the wrath of God to come down on your heads. You need to get back on your hands and knees you need to repent, you need to ask God for forgiveness, and you need to forget those who have hurt you have betrayed you I've done whatever against you. This is what God wants this is the most High
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Cynthia Louise Leist-Copley
The problems all the problem is that the United States has been having is the wrath of god. Why? Simply because of this, they took God out of the classroom they took the pledge of allegiance out that says God in it. They took prayer out of the classroom and then when all these tragedies happen like the school shootings the classroom shootings to school where is God why does God let this happen there is no God or he wouldn't let this happen. All people want to do is blame God no matter what whether it's he did something wrong or why didn't he do something to stop this tragedy okay it's all God's fault but is anybody thought about getting down on their knees and asking God to protect our children in the school rooms in those classrooms in those schools anybody thought about asking for protection when you're out on the street drive by shooting home invasions okay car snap it's snatchings you know held up a gun point get out of your car I want it and they take it at gunpoint. Men who get drunk and high too drunk or too high, and have a gun they're upset with their spouse or their girlfriend they point the gun at their head cocked and loaded you deserve to die be a 999 okay I've been in that situation. My first boyfriend I woke up to having a loaded and cocked semi-automatic 32 Beretta pointed at my head and he was ready to shoot me. Because he believed I was the root of all of his problems his drunkenness his drug habit but he had him running there hadn't been someone sleeping at our house living with us at the time I would not be here to tell you this story. There's lots and men like that they get mad they want to shoot their wife and then they shoot themselves they shoot their kids and their wife and then shoot themselves. PEOPLE NEED TO WAKE UP OUR PROBLEMS STEM FROM NOT HAVING GOD IN OUR LIVES FOR PUTTING HIM LAST THINKING HE DOESN'T MATTER. WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO REALIZE IS GOD IS EVERYTHING WITH GOD THERE IS EVERYTHING WITHOUT GOD THERE IS NOTHING. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING NOW IS THE NOTHINGNESS OF TAKING GOD OUT OF CHURCH KEEPING GOD ONLY IN THE CHURCH SORRY OUT OF THE CLASSROOM OUT OF THE BUSINESSES OUT OF THE OUT OF THE COURTROOMS WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAVING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS HANGING IN YOUR COURTROOM THEY'RE GOD'S LAWS THEY'RE WHAT THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON SO MAYBE PEOPLE NEED TO GET ON THEIR KNEES OR EVEN THEIR PURPOSE AND ASK GOD TO HELP THEM TO FORGIVE THEM TO REPENT AND DO BETTER AS PARENTS AS PEOPLE AS PART OF SOCIETY STOP THE VIOLENCE PUT GOD BACK INTO OUR SOCIETY HE BELONGS IN OUR SOCIETIES HE BELONGS IN OUR HOMES HE BELONGS IN EVERYONE'S HEART. SATAN'S GOING TO TAG ON GOOD JOB AND TELLING EVERYBODY THE CRIME AND STUFF COME FROM SATAN. HE TAKES A GRAIN OF TRUTH AND TWISTS IT A THOUSAND WAYS TO SUNDAY AND MAKES YOU BELIEVE IT'S THE TRUTH WHEN IT'S NOT BIBLICAL IT'S NOT IN THE BIBLE IT'S NOT BIBLICAL. THE DIOCESE CATHOLIC DIOCESE HAS DONE ENOUGH TO DESTROY THE BIBLE FROM ITS ORIGINAL DEAD SEA SCROLLS THEY ADMITTED STUFF THEY DIDN'T PUT STUFF THEY'VE TRANSLATED WORDS THE WAY THEY SHOULDN'T BE WE NEED TO BRING THE BIBLE BACK THE OLD BIBLE AND BRING THAT PHYSICAL WAYS BRING BACK THE BIBLICAL WAYS FAMILIES WILL COME BACK TOGETHER FAMILIES WILL STAY TOGETHER FAMILIES THAT PRAY TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER COMMUNITIES THAT PRAY TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER THEY'RE TIGHT-KNIT A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS CHURCH AND GOD IN THE GOVERNMENT RUNS BETTER AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE IDIOTS RUNNING IT LIKE WE DO NOW WAKE UP PEOPLE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE IT'S ALL I CAN SAY IS WAKE UP PEOPLE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE MATTHEW 20 WITH JUST THE GREEN OF FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED OKAY OF A MUSTARD SEED CAN MOVE THE MIGHTIEST OF MOUNTAINS NOW IF THAT CAN DO THAT OUR BELIEF AND OUR FAITH AND OUR ALMIGHTY GOD THE MOST HIGH THE CREATOR OF THIS UNIVERSE THE UNIVERSE AND GOD ARE ONE AND THE SAME GOD IN THE UNIVERSE I WANT IN THE SAME THAT'S HOW HE IS IN US AND WE ARE IN HIM BECAUSE WE'RE ALL MADE OF ENERGY GOOD AND BAD GET RID OF THE BAD GO BACK TO THE BIBLE AND BRING BACK THE GOOD AND I'LL GET OFF MY SOAPBOX NOW BUT THIS IS GOD'S TRUTH AND SOMEBODY NEEDS TO HEAR IT AND SOMEBODY NEEDS TO LISTEN BECAUSE THIS WORLD HEADED FOR THE WORST RAPID GOD THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN NOW THE UNITED STATES IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BECAUSE THEY'RE THE HORROR BABYLON THIS UNITED STATES IS THE W**** OF BABYLON UNLESS WE CHANGE IT THERE IS GOING TO BE NO UNITED STATES LEFT. GOD BLESS YOU AND PLEASE PRAY TODAY EVEN IF IT'S JUST GOD GIVE ME A GOOD DAY OR GOD THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE WHATEVER JUST LET HIM KNOW YOU'RE THERE HE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU HE WANTS TO LOVE YOU HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU HIS WAYS HIS WAY IS THE RIGHT WAY I'M DONE GOD BLESS YOU AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY BLESSED ABUNDANT LIFE AND DAY STARTING WITH TODAY
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Raymond Quintero
Gaining Ground To Freedom Of Religion Back In OUR GREAT NATION
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David Buck
I would damn sure rather have prayer in schools than Critical Race Theory or some of the other 'stuff' that seems to have made its way into classrooms aimed at students from ridiculously young ages.
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Timothy Newell
It's time to inject prayer back into public schools anyway, should have never been taken out. I was in the first grade back in 1962 when the teacher read from the Bible and we stood up for the Pledge of Allegiance--"One nation UNDER GOD" I think we've become so saturated with ungodliness in this country now. So I don't have to shop at Target anymore and spectators can take their seat in the football stadium after God and His Only Begotten Son--my Savior--has been praised. God can only love you folks in this community with your comments a million times more than I ever could. So continue with the Apostasy that Jesus warned us all about in the Bible--that wonderful Bible from which my first-grade teacher read back in 1962 before O'Hair's mistake. You all marginalizing Christians isn't surprising God at all, so keep on doing it. He's in control anyway.
In Jesus' name. Amen
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Lionheart
Is your god real then? I’m just asking, for all those that believe in other gods apart from yours. They don’t have any demonstrable evidence either to support their claims, much like yourself I guess. They are just hanging onto faith, being as that’s all they’ve got. 🤷🏼
Thanks for your comment though.
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Lady Mutt Cat
Only his god matters. Those of us who worship other deities are of no value to the likes of him.
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Cynthia Louise Leist-Copley
My God is the most high God which means, my God is the almighty the Creator of this universe he is this universe all other gods are small in comparison to my God my God is the beginning and the end the alpha and the Omega the first in the last Olympians all knowing all seeing all loving all loving. However, if you put another God before him or an idol before him you will suffer his wrath. Because my God my Almighty God is the most powerful is the strongest is the most loving and at the same time the most jealous because there shall be no other gods before him that's in the commandments so as thou shall not kill thou shall not buy thou shalt not steal thou shalt not covenant thy neighbor's wife or anyone's wife that shall not murder I believe I said that but you get my direct then you shall not take the lord's name in vain and so many people do God help them for taking his name in vain that's where he gets the most jealous because how dare you degrade the creator of everything how dare you disgrace make his name sound disgusting by using it with profanity how dare you he is the highest of high gods he is the most powerful God because he is the true God he is the main god as he's omnipient nobody's above him. Why do you think Satan fell from Grace and went to hell and it's the king of this world. Because he thought he was bigger and better than God and higher than God God showed him and God will show anybody else who believes they're bigger and above him is no one is bigger or above the almighty God ever and always he is and always will be the beginning and the end and he creates everything even the aliens he created them before he created us he made intelligent minds but he did they didn't look the way he wanted. We were his last perfect creation because we look the most like him and Christ Jesus and the holy Spirit that's why we are the race that knows who God is the most are supposed to I imagine the aliens know who their creator is the same as mine think about it
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Lionheart
Cynthia, I assume you are getting all this from a book….right?
If your god was real, of which he doesn’t seem capable to even show up to prove it, he is the most genocidal, pestilential, infanticidal, malevolent, bully of all time. As I have said elsewhere, if I ever met him, I’d punch him on his nose, and stomp on his sandaled feet, for ignoring the plight of mankind, especially innocent little children that he had no issues with drowning.
If he really existed, he definitely is not a god of love. He condoned slavery, and also stoning people to death. Not the sort of deity I would ever want to worship.
Fortunately, there is no demonstrable evidence whatsoever of his reality. The tales, stories, and claims, that you can read about in that book, possibly written by goat herders, are merely fanciful thoughts and ideas from a people that didn’t know where the sun went at night.
There is also very little evidence that Jesus really existed. All we have are stories, written by historians, that never met him. Those that did live during his lifetime, if he was real, never wrote about him. Weird….right?
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Timothy Newell
Halleluiah! Guess i'm doing something right!
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Timothy Newell
He's just as real as Satan who's dancing in the streets due to all this unbelief and doubt. Faith is all i need
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Lionheart
I think you will find that the “Satan” belief, is also a similar type of human construct to the “God” belief thing. Interesting thought though.
My grandchildren still have a belief in Santa Clause, and Fairies, bless their little souls. Hopefully, they’ll grow out of it. That’s what logic, reason, and critical thought can do as one matures.
On a different topic, I wonder if the earth is flat 🤔
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Cynthia Louise Leist-Copley
AMEN AND BELIEVE!!!!? WE NEED TO BRING GOD BACK TO THE SCHOOLS BACK TO THE CHILDREN BACK TO THE FAMILIES BACK TO THE HOMES BACK TO JUSTICE WHERE HE BELONGS A MAN AND I AGREE
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Minister Ronda
Amen
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Austin B Beamer
Young people need this kind of an influence to encourage goodness in their lives.
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Lionheart
Why do they? It actually doesn’t say much for their character, if they have to rely on a mythical being, with no evidence of its existence, just to be good.
I prefer to be good because it feels right to love my fellow man. I don’t need anyone to tell me to be good and kind.
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Lady Celynia
I am a religious and deeply spiritual person. However, I was not raised to be a religious and deeply spiritual person. Therefore, it is my opinion that a religious influence is not what is needed with younger people. What is needed are parents that teach empathy, teach right from wrong and let their children make mistakes and teach how to learn from the.pm. Parents need to set limits, teach children to be respectful, and how to lose gracefully. We also need role models that are truly inspiring, not more of the likes of the Kardashians, Wests, et al. We need education to become education again, not indoctrination. Schools need to teach language, mathematics, sciences, history and critical thinking and logic and rhetoric.
We seem to have lost two generations to experimentation. That needs to stop.
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Matthew Mastrogiovanni
The GOP won't stop until we have a theocracy.
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Lionheart
And also a Republic 🤗
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Daniel Todd Kamm
Florida's electorate is responsible for allowing that mess and only they can correct it. The right wing courts in Florida aren't gonna touch it until after the next big election and they know where their money is coming from.
If they wait long enough the GOP's extreme wing might start eating their own, like the mess in Texas this week. Lots of gnashing of teeth and chewing on the teething ring down there.
A lot of species eat their own...spiders, praying mantises, rodents, rabbits, all the way up to the Donner party, celebrities and then some.
To the point, it's political over reach and religious over reach and even the Supreme Court will not take up a case this volatile, though this or that Justice" will need to work it out under cover. Send it back down, refure to hear, etc.
This one is definitely headed to the courts.
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NLilly
GOD Bless To The Post. ♥ Smiling.
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Jimmy Moon
Sounds good to me. We need JESUS more than ever before. There is one thing for certain. There are two places where everyone believes in JESUS, Heaven and Hell.
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Lionheart
Do you have any demonstrable evidence to your claim, or did you just read that in a book?
Thank you for your comment, Jimmy.
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Rev. Mike Eggleston
I presumes all religions will be represented equally.
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James Mounts
I personally am not a Jesus Christer, but I think most people who participate in and watch high-school sports in America are. No one is requiring non-Christians to recite the prayers--only to be respectful while others pray. In Muslim communities I would not object to the prayers be theirs or if they chose to have none. Same for Hindus, et al. In recent years we have interpreted "freedom of religion" to mean "freedom from religion.. Just look where it has taken us. Time to try the other tac.
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Rev. Kev
Freedom of religion also doesn't mean the right to subject others to one's chosen faith at any occasion. People go to sports events for the sports. Support the school and the team. Socialize. Eat bad food and drink. I doubt anyone goes to a school sports event to have to listen to someone pray. I think if people want to pray for their team, they can pray in silence as much as they like. God supposedly knows what they are praying. Broadcasting it on the field's sound system won't make God pay more attention to it.
Freedom from religion isn't necessarily a bad thing. Our nation isn't floundering from some curse of less religion. Shootings and violence aren't because of less religion. In fact, a LOT of folks toting guns and wrapped in flags also wear crosses. The folks who attacked the Capitol on Jan 6th had several pre-insurrection rallies by popular preachers firing them up. I saw at least a couple large, wooden crosses that day.
Religion is clearly not the cure for what ails us. It can often be the source of dehumanizing "other". Instead of hoping one or another religion or god will magically save us, we should start teaching people to stop being rude and abusive, as seems to be the way these days. Teach simple compassion. Caring. Understanding. Teach kids that other people are exactly that: people. Fellow human beings. Who feel love and pain. Who have needs and wants. Who are basically the same as other humans. All sane humans want to live a life of peace and happiness. Have time with friends and family. Enjoy what pleasures life has to offer and work together to overcome the tragedies. Putting ourselves in the other person's shoes transcends any particular religion. People across the ages have taught the idea of treating others as you'd like to be treated in the same circumstances. We don't need a religion to raise kids to just be decent humans and treat other life and the world well.
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ServantOfJudgement
Rev You just described the teachings of Jesus the Christ. I agree with you partly if not mostly. Consider this: Education requires a standard. Like it or not, the Bible teaches good behavior for family and governments even if the characters in it didn't follow its teachings and did evil anyway. Also the Bible is realitively constant, which a standard should be. When that standard was removed from the classroom or a more accurate account, when the classroom was removed from the standard, it was replaced with nothing. And now we have a society that has matured without that ethics standard being taught. Should be expected for society to drop the standard and replace it with the fad and feelings of the moment.
Should bibles be in public school? No, not as a policy. Finding a suitable replacement standard would be nice but I fear we would never agree on one, we haven't so far anyway.
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Rev. Kev
My point was we can have a standard without the necessity of invoking any particular religion or deities.
We live in a multicultural society. Kids in schools adhere to a variety of religions, or none at all. Even within Christianity there are differences. For example, Evangelical parents could be angered by a Catholic priest offering a prayer over the loudspeaker, thus exposing their children to what they may see as a "Satanic" or heretical faith.
And let's be honest here. We can cherry pick certain teachings in the Bible as constructive. But there are also a lot of things in the Bible not so constructive. Genocides. Slavery. Induced miscarriage. Kidnapping women to make brides of them. Human sacrifice. And so on.
I've seen a lot of people raised as Christians who are hateful, bigoted, violent, and self-centered. I've seen street preachers scream and yell at people. I've even been accosted by the occasional wannabe evangelist while just doing my own thing and minding my own business. One lady saw I was reading a book by the Dalai Lama and told me I needed to read a better book. I thanked her for her suggestion and hoped that would be that. Before I knew it she was going off on how evolution was from Satan and how awful I was unless I repented. She began getting visibly upset and started yelling at me. I backed away and split for the nearest store to get away.
Clearly, Christianity as a whole lacks any particular standard, and is open to many interpretations and beliefs.
I say avoid the conflicts and stick with a more secular, reasonable standard. The things I mentioned can all be logically reasoned. But it needs to start with the developing minds of children so they can become the sane, reasonable adults of tomorrow. Such that no matter how far they climb in their education, they will never see a conflict between those ideals and reality.
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Lionheart
We actually don't know what the real teachings were, being as he never wrote them down anywhere, assuming he was a real person.
As for the Bible teaching good behavior, try explaining that to all the children your god was supposed to have killed, plus those in slavery that he condoned, and those he ordered to be stoned to death, and those he drowned. 🤷🏼
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Geoffrey C. Olive
As a devout atheist, why should I respect any religion, particularly xtianturdity, that disrespects my lack of belief in their ridiculous nonsense and the damage they’ve caused to humanity?
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
so what you're suggesting is we should all relax and let cristofascists pray anywhere they want under any circumstance because....christofascism?
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Lady Mutt Cat
That's exactly what the thumpers want.
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Najah P Tamargo
Minister Najah Tamargo USA (sadly, FL) SBNR
This does not surprise me in the slightest. don't think a "moment" of silence would be a bad idea instead of a full blown megaphone prayer. Religions or spiritual matters should stay with the family, NOT the school system. And FL has one of the worst ratings in the country in public school ratings. (I am soooo glad none of my kids are not still in school, and my grandkids and great-grandson live in different states. Remember when everybody had a hissy fit when the NFL (and others) "took a knee" at the National Anthem? You would think the world was coming to an end!!!! But remember.....Florida is run by a DeDouchebag that wrote a law just so he could still be governor while running for President, banning books, criminalizing drag shows, not allowing "critical race theory", etc. Florida has become a real life Fahrenheit 451!!!! I am one of those 30% that's NOT a bible-thumping Christian, but do not criticize them for their beliefs. I just don't feel it is appropriate to try and jam it down others throats. I am also one of the folks that plan on moving out of this hell hole state!!!!
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Joy
I love here too and DeNutso is like a crazed child on sugar running around in his own hubris at what “he can do”, eg,
“Look at me! Look what I have done! I have my Republican state congress signing everything I want because I hate people and I hate Florida!”
He has issues. His dictator mindset will backfire one day. And I hope soon because he has done so much harm just this year alone.
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Joy
^^^live here. LOL
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Rev Ned
If they're gonna pray, they should pray that none of the players sustain a life changing or ending injury.
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Rev. Kev
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.” Matthew 6
This sort of public prayer outside of the corporate worship of a church of likeminded believers strikes me as pure spectacle. A show so everyone can see how righteous and holy everyone else is.
It can also have the opposite effect of what some people think it will do. They want to "spread the word" in a country already saturated with "the word". In Florida you can sit on any corner and toss a stone in any direction and hit a church. My smallish city literally has an entire street of massive megachurches. If someone wants to join a church and be preached at, it is super easy to find a place for that. But the streets are still packed with people who speed and drive like crazy people. The shops are still filled with rude, obnoxious people. Clearly "the word" hasn't had any real affect. And trying to subjugate others to one's personal beliefs when they are not there for that particular slice of life can turn them farther away from wanting to hear any more of "the word".
I'm betting some students in FL are members of TST. Time to get the local chapters to sign up for sports prayer night. 😈😁
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
Rev Kev Let's hope TST does exactly that! Ave Satana
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Rev. Elizabeth
AWESOME! We are moving towards the correct direction. Be patient, more will follow. PATIENCE cannot be expressed enough here. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 💖
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Lionheart
Yayyy! Let's all talk to a wall, floor, sky, or ceiling, to our imaginary friend, that no one has yet been able to prove exists.
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Daniel-David
Prayer does comfort my soul. I pray for others, and give thanks for them being in my life. What you think, feel, or express an opinion about is between you and your dog. 🐶
If none of this ‘God stuff’ can be proven to your satisfaction then the answer must be the mumbling of deranged me and women trying to make sense of this world.
You telling me, it’s random, and not provable, doesn’t move the needle. It just keeps you playing that one-stringed instrument.
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Daniel-David
Prayer does comfort my soul. I pray for others, and give thanks for them being in my life. What you think, feel, or express an opinion about is between you and your dog. 🐶
If none of this ‘God stuff’ can be proven to your satisfaction then the answer must be the mumbling of deranged me and women trying to make sense of this world.
You telling me, it’s random, and not provable, doesn’t move the needle. It just keeps you playing that one-stringed instrument.
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Lionheart
Thank you, David, It’s not really a question of what can be proven to “my” satisfaction to be true, it’s more of “what can be proven to everyone”. The same goes for Odin, Thor, Vishnu, et al. Perhaps you can tell me what logic, and reason you used to discount the reality of those deities, in favor of the one you want to believe is real.
By the way, a one-stringed instrument can actually play a very nice tune, depending on how the tension of the string is changed, and on how it’s length is played.
Thank you so much for your comment, David. 🤗
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Timothy Newell
Evolution leaves no room for a supernatural creator. And since there is no God, then there are no rules. No One to whom we must give an account. So man did not create God. Freud got that wrong. In fact, I would propose to you the very opposite. I believe that if man got his way, he'd prefer that God did not exist. And eliminate God. Haven't you noticed? Whenever anything goes bad in someone's life or if there is some tragic event that occurs, people--religious or non religious--inevitably blame God. How could God allow this? How could God allow that? No, if man had his way he would rather eliminate God, not create Him. Even comes up with the theology that God is dead and has left the building!
I taught from the perspective that God is our Creator and i refused to teach what I thought were evolution lies from the text book. You're talking about how those laboratory experiments have proven that living organisms evolve from non-living chemicals as proof of a naturalistic origin of life and this is just not so. Those experiments only showed that certain organic compounds could be formed from inorganic compounds, and intelligence was and is still needed since someone still had to conduct and design those experiments.
Certainly that's far from creating life in a laboratory and you know that the amount of information contained in the nucleus of a living cell shows that it could not have evolved from non-living chemicals. In that it must have been created. The fossil record does not show the continuous development of one kind of creature into another and one has neither seen one kind of plant or animal changing into another of a different kind. Dogs change into different kinds of dogs but they are always dogs and we can breed dogs to form new varieties but they'll never change into cats or kangeroos because they remain in the boundaries that God created for them in the beginning.
And you know that there are layers of assumptions used to calculate the age of the earth using radiometric dating. The earth is not billions of years old. The earth is not millions of years old. Not even close. Evolution is being taught as a matter of fact but no one can scientifically prove evolution, just as nobody can prove that God created the world since none of us were present to witness it; both these teachings become a matter of faith.
The evolutionists have nothing but a vast amount of time, random choice events and the ever-changing idea of man to base his worldview upon while the one who holds on to creation has his beliefs firmly rooted in the truths contained in the Bible and a personal God who created everything. You can chance your eternity on the views of Freud and Darwin if you want--I'm putting my trust in Jesus Christ who died on the Cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day.
I know some of you will call that stupidity. I am calling it humility, and I trust and I will follow Christ and wait on the hope of eternal life that He offers. May you find that same hope.
Monologue from "A Matter of Faith"--not my words but i wish they were.
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Lionheart
Well, for me, I cannot put my trust in anyone where there is little evidence the said person was real, let alone the stories listed about the said person by people that never met him. Thank you for your comments though.
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Joy
You are fooling yourself if you think any of this is good. And you sound like one of the people Jesus spoke about to stay clear of. Control is all DeSantis wants. And those who think this is great will support it. But what you don’t realize is all of this is about removing our guaranteed rights under our constitutional republic country.
Yes. Patience is needed. For this who are slowly stripping away the very fabric on which we live.
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Rev Mark D
Well I don't really see Muslims asking for a football victory, it's not exactly how Allah is to be used. Cities and state government open with a prayer, generally either from a Christian religion or generically... The military provides for chaplains, and now Texas school districts look like they're going to be providing for chaplains (including I'm sure in lieu of counselors)...so what?
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
Great news! Keep growing in the kingdom of God. All faiths are welcome. Paint scripture on the walls. It's heaven sent.
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Rev. Mike Eggleston
All faiths? That's great, I look forward to hearing the prayers to Our Lord Satan. !nemA
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David Richard Procter
It will not pass U.S. Constitutional scrutiny. Praying to the Lord through Jesus Christ at a public school sporting event? The Washington state case has totally different circumstances. Has something untoward happened to the drinking water in Florida?
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Rev Mark D
Yes something has happened in Florida, but it's not the water, it's hot air (T-Rump and De-Whatsis).
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Rev Mark D
And that otherwise-Walmart assistant manager who inherited 350 million of his daddy's money and pays 17 year olds for sex by check).
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Pamela Kay Waters
Prayer should NOT be in public schools. If there are those that want to pray before an athletic event then they can do it on their own behalf and leave the others alone.
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Krystina S.
SHAME ON DeSatan. SHAME on FLORIDIANS who put this Christofascist autocrat wannabe dictator in power.
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Michael Holland
What happened to separation of church and state ? Are the churches going to start funding schools? Are other religions going to be able to say their prayers? Not all who attend school are Christian, why should they be subjected to this?
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Ealdormon Piparskeggr Robinson
Separation is nowhere in the Constitution, explicitly. That document expressly prohibits the establishment of a State Religion, like the Church of England.
The separation verbiage was in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 expressing his opinion that the 1st Amendment does, in effect, work like that. As I recall from American History class, he was mostly opposed to government declaring days of prayer and thanksgiving.
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Rev. Rory
General Flynn travels the country advocating for a national religion. You are correct to say that the establishment of a State Religion is against the Constitution, and for good reason!
From PBS:
"In the version of America laid out at the ReAwaken tour, Christianity should be at the center of American life and institutions. Instead, it’s under attack, and attendees need to fight to restore the nation’s Christian roots. It’s a message repeated over and over at ReAwaken — one that upends the constitutional ideal of a pluralist democracy. But it’s a message that is taking hold.
A poll by the University of Maryland conducted in May found that 61% of Republicans support declaring the U.S. to be a Christian nation."
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/michael-flynn-is-recruiting-an-army-of-god-in-growing-christian-nationalist-movement
Clay Clark is the founder of the movement. On a June 2021 episode of the Stew Peters Show, he argued that the COVID-19 vaccine contained luceiferase, which he believed was a cryptocurrency technology associated with the Mark of the Beast prophesied in Revelation 13:16-18. This conspiracy theory, according to Clark, included Bill Gates (under the influence of performance artist and alleged Satanist Marina Abramović), and Jeffrey Epstein. Clark accused Gates and Epstein of attempting to create a new race of humans by combining luciferase and Epstein's DNA into the COVID-19 vaccine.
All I can say is (sigh.)
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Geoffrey C. Olive
Horida is fast becoming the most obnoxious, never want to live in or go there state in this country, which seems to want to be a theoturdocracy!💩👎
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
I’ve been an American expat for over 30 years bc it’s not just Florida.
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Mary Haviland
Good. More people need to pray. You idiots accept this behavior from the Muslim people but you won't accept prayers from christians, that's hypocritical. Esp since the Muslims are evil.
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Rev. Kev
Your comment begs some questions:
1) To whom do you refer when you say "You idiots"? How do you know what they accept or don't accept?
2) Do you assert that ALL Muslims are evil? Every single one on the entire planet? How would you know this? Have you been gifted with omniscience to know the minds and intent of every Muslim ever?
3) Your post does not reflect well on you as a human being. Can one draw the conclusion this was the result of your fervent prayers? If so, why would anyone of sound mind want that? Not exactly a rousing advertisement for prayer.
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Sally Jeanne Altobello
Mary Haviland: I suggest you start reading the Bible and praying for tolerance, acceptance, compassion, and all the other attributes God has told us to live by. There are many religions in this world; some might even be better suited to people than Christianity. Indiginous peoples of America (and most likely other places, revere every bit of our earth--we are visitors here and we've been given the responsibility to take care of our earth and each other. You don't sound like you do that. I know many Muslims who are the nicest people I've ever met, living Allah's word of peace and love. You don't sound like you do. Your comments were a big OUCH to me.
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Rev Ned
Watching Disney's Bambi might help too!
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Geoffrey C. Olive
Prayers nowadays are as useless as religion has been to human society. Over the millennia, religion has had its filthy fingers in everything related to human scientific and progressive development! Imagine how advanced the world would be in space travel, medicine, and everything else if men in frocks hadn’t been able to get their own greedy ways!
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James Riggle-Johnson
Yep... the dark ages set up back centuries in developing technology and medical advances.
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ServantOfJudgement
Here's some things religion did not have a hand in: Gunpowder, mustard gas, thermonuclear warheads, napalm, ak47, sarin gas, shock treatment, heroin, cigarettes, STD testing on black Americans, concentration death camps, on and on and on and on.
Let's give credit where credit is due. Mankind is willing to commit horrific evil, with or without religion. True, some religions are inherently evil while some are not. The humans within or without any given religion is capable of the terrible evil, they're the actual problem.-
Rev. Kev
With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil - that takes religion.
-- Steven Weinberg
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ServantOfJudgement
Weinberg got it wrong. Atheists can have the same problem believers can have. They're gullible. They don't think of the outcome of their actions. They also can think they're the enlightened one. Religion did not bring us the atomic bomb, which is quite evil. Godless science and pacifists brought us the most destructive thing man has ever conceived and its brought fear and terror to billions. Interesting that God said fire would consume the planet, scientists have made that possible now, without religion.
Good men can do evil when they believe they're the moral authority.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
@ Haviland Do you have your Blazing Bigot membership card laminated in holy plastic?
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Lionheart
The efficacy of prayer has been studied since at least 1872, and has shown to be completely ineffective. Prayer has been determined to be just as effective as crossing ones fingers, touching wood, or carrying around a lump of coal.
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CB Cuff
George Carlin covered this (praying) beautifully, as did Christopher Hichens. Both insightful and well versed smart guys. Miss them.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
Mary H...there's that good crz chn attitude we've come to know an like...thank you for being a consistent and predictable crx chn
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Daniel-David
Mary H.,
How did you learn Muslims were evil? Who taught you that?
What they taught you and what you learned is how to fear and hate, a group, a person, religious people. Fear can be a terrifying emotion. Fear of the ‘other’ can become all consuming.
Do not be discouraged, turn to the God of your understanding and listen to the command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Be a blessing to someone today. Be at peace. Daniel.
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
Having met all Muslims, you obviously have a leg to stand on (see sarcasm). Your statement smacks of prejudice, ignorance, and hate. I call on the monitors of this site to have you removed from the ULC. There's should be no place for haters here.
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Gary Leu
Troll.
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Gary Leu
Comment removed by user.
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Gary Leu
Comment removed by user.
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Kenneth Eagle Spirit
And of course all faiths will be granted equal time. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. and etc. will all be included. After all, we wouldn't want to force ONE religion on a group without allowing ALL faiths to participate. And the guy who signed the bill into law stands a chance of being the next president of the United States. How cool is this? And in case you missed my point get a dictionary and look up the definition of sarcasm.
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Rev Ned
I use sarcastrophies ^ ^ to bracket sarcasm as in ^Covfefe!^
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Geoffrey C. Olive
I think only one, even if it’s xtianoturdity, is infinitely preferable to all of them spouting their nonsense through loud speakers!💩👎
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All religions believe in GOD. He just has different names. So yes in schools is awesome. I you don't believe in God or Prayer, then just stand there and think about something else. My kids pray over every meal. I hold hands out of respect. They are praying to SATAN. I truly don't see the big deal. Yes I was in public school. We pledge to the flag everyday. Yes I grew up with multi races and religions. Say your own prayer. No big deal We NEED GOD IN OUR LIVES more than ever.