Three Republicans refuse to attend Idaho Senate Daily Invocation because of Hindu prayer

[Panich52]

Daily Kos
Three Republicans refuse to attend Idaho Senate Daily Invocation because of Hindu prayer

Three pillars of the Idaho community refused to attend their Senate's daily invocation, all three objecting to prayer from a Hindu guest chaplain, Rajan Zed.

"Fulfill all your duties, action is better than inaction," Zed said. "Even to maintain your body, you are obligated to act. Selfish action imprisons the world. Act selflessly, without any throughout of personal profit."

We can all agree, that's pretty objectionable stuff. Without "personal profit"???? Okay, hippie. Let's hear it from the three, Steve Vick, Sheryl Nuxoll and Lori Den Hartog:

Nuxoll says she declined to attend because she believes the United States is a Christian nation.

"Hindu is a false faith with false gods," she said. "I think it's great that Hindu people can practice their religion but since we're the Senate, we're setting an example of what we, Idaho, believe."

Nuxoll added that she wished the Senate had conducted a Christian prayer along with the Hindu invocation.

Vick had announced his objections the day before, saying that he would ask his colleagues to join him.

Den Hartog said it would've been disingenuous to her Christian faith to attend.

More
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/05/1368828/-Three-Republicans-refuse-to-attend-Idaho-Senate-Daily-Invocation-because-of-Hindu-prayer?detail=email

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Is it any wonder extremist Muslims think the US is anti-anything-not-Christian? The RW religionists and Dominionists who have so much control in fed, state & local gov'ts here are as responsible for fanning hatred towards US as our military involvement.

The gov't meeting invocations, which Thomas Jefferson was against but reluctantly agreed to, are for calling upon a deity, spirit, etc., for aid, protection, inspiration, etc. That 99.9% are Christian, and a good percentage of those are evangelical Protestant, is denying the purpose of the comments.

These 3 elected officials should be removed from office. They obviously lied while taking their oath of office; both the US & Idaho constitutions proclaim freedom of religion. These 3 manifestly do not.

[libodem]

1. Shameful behavior

Immature, intolerant, Unchristian, and petty.

What an embarrassment. Shame!

This is why I virtually live at DU.

[oldandhappy]

2. refuse, refuse, refuse

The Repubs best skill!! Refuse voting rights, refuse respect in Selma, refuse the law in Ferguson, refuse!!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. If the "false Gods" don't exist, why are they afraid of them?

"If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." Buddhist saying.

[Panich52]

7. But their own god admits other gods exist: "Thy shall have NO OTHER GODS before me"

So they're not false, just lesser. Of course, admitting their own scripture would mean admitting even pagans are really worshiping gods that exist.

Seems that's so much harder than admitting their precious scripture is full of myths and errors.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. Did the God club elect the One True God? Or, was it a palace coup?

"Man is the only animal to have found the the One True God...several of them." Mark Twain

[QC]

4. This is the same state legislator where a rep believes that women

gestate children in their digestive tracts.

[msongs]

5. Hindu prayers stronger than Raid against teapublicans! use liberally and often lol nt

[SickOfTheOnePct]

6. Bigoted asses

But it's ridiculous to advocate removing them from office, IMO.

[Rex]

8. 'Hindu is a false faith with false gods'

Said the women that has never met or talked to her God...but that's all good, because he is real. She just knows it!

[cbayer]

9. Interfaith leaders ask Idaho lawmakers to apologize for walking out on Hindu prayer

I'm glad they are being exposed for the bigots that they are.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/03/06/3680204_interfaith-leaders-ask-idaho-lawmakers.html?rh=1

Regional interfaith leaders are calling on three Idaho lawmakers to apologize after protesting a Hindu prayer at the State House, according to Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism.

Zed led a Hindu prayer that focused on selflessness and peace at the Senate Tuesday. The Senate and House sessions normally lead with a prayer, but usually it's a Christian invocation.

Three Republican senators walked out in protest: Sens. Steve Vick of Dalton Garden, Sheryl Nuxoll of Cottonwood and Lori Den Hartog of Meridian.

[android fan]

12. So the solution to keep Republicans out of the chambers

is to bring in non-Christian religious people.

Ok let's bring in a Hasidic rabbi that demands that all women legislators leave.

Or we can bring in Pentecost snake handlers who speaks in tongues

Or we can bring in a Native American shaman invoking the Holy Spirit.

Or we can bring a voodoo shaman with lots of evil-smelling stuff

I can think of about another 100 or so variation of religion that isn't even remotely close to Christianity that the Republicans demand, and one religion should be churned out daily (or fifty) to counter the Christian stuff to keep the Republicans out.

Whaddya think?

[cbayer]

13. Personally I don't think they should have any prayers or invocations, but

the Supreme Court disagrees with me.

As long as they are permitted, then they need to be inclusive. As long as there is no harm done and people's rights are not infringed upon, I have no problem with a Hasidic rabbi, a Pentecostal preacher, a Native American shaman or a voodoo shaman. I also have no problem with someone with no religious beliefs.

It's not at all about keeping republicans out, it's about making sure everyone else is welcomed in.

Whaddya think?

[android fan]

14. Of course!

Everyone should be welcome... if the Republicans want to stay out of the invocations, that means that they are more and more insecure than ever.

Have a great weekend!

[pintobean]

10. "no religious test shall ever be required"

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Religious_Test_Clause

I'm thinking so what on this one. They have the right to do what they did. They don't give up their freedom when they go into public office. It looks dickish, but so does calling for their removal.

[spanone]

11. but a christian invocation is alright?