My Congressman Weighs in on Legislative Prayer
I see my Tea-Party leaning Rethuglican is at it again. My E-mail to him below, his E-mail is below that. Adrian Smith is the representative for Nebraska District Three, in which I reside.
James
________________________________________
Concerning your position vis. Town of Greece v Galloway
Message Text:
I find it sadly ironic you term this case of prayerful invocations in public meetings to be a question of religious freedom. There is of course no freedom in imposing mandatory prayer on the constituents of a town.
As you are well aware, the nation is comprised of people of all religions, and none. I am one of those in the none category. Prayer in a public meeting serves no legislative purpose, but is most certainly divisive, between the religious as well as those of no faith. No freedoms are being denied by moving directly to the agenda of a town board meeting. No one is telling a Pentecostal, a Catholic, a Jew, or a Muslim they cannot practice their faith because a town board does not hold a prayerful invocation before it meets.
On the other hand, every last person in a town meeting not represented by that prayer is a second-class citizen in that meeting. Would you be as supportive of a prayerful invocation if it were in the name of Allah, or Saraswati? Any god worthy of the name should be insulted by ceremonial deism in the name of politics, and so should that god's adherents. Any prayer that could be rendered so as to be inoffensive to all the citizens is also a meaningless prayer.
Government has no place endorsing the religious views of any faith, no matter how much of a majority the adherents to that faith have. The Bill of Rights exists to protect the rights of minorities: the majority does not need its rights protected. As a representative in the Congress who supports the US Constitution you should be well-aware of that.
What makes this nation exceptional is it is a Secular State; government has no interest in religion. It is unique in the history of human governance, and endless religious attempts to subvert that singular principle will never end.
Your position on this case shows you too wish to subvert the I Amendment. I am exceptionally disappointed you would use your valuable time in weighing in on a matter that is not the province of government. With all the difficulties that face our nation, you do not need to be weighing in with the power of your office on a civil case about ceremonial Deism.
From: Congressman Adrian Smith [mailto:ne03ima@mail.house.gov]
Sent: 13 September 2013 09:52
To: me
Subject: Update on Religious Freedom
Dear Mr. K--:
Knowing of your interest in receiving updates about religious freedom and family values, I am writing regarding recent developments.
Religious freedom is one of our most cherished inheritances; so important, our Founding Fathers saw fit to place it first in the Bill of Rights. Allowing Americans of all faiths to engage in prayer strengthens the fabric of our society and represents a responsible and moral agenda. Moreover, prayer has played a vital role in Congress and in deliberative bodies at all levels of government from the earliest days of our nation's history.
As you may know, in the coming months the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in Town of Greece v. Galloway, a case which challenges the constitutionality of invocation prayer at public town meetings in Greece, New York. This case is the first heard by the Court in thirty years to address legislative prayer.
Because of the importance of this matter, recently I joined 84 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in Town of Greece v. Galloway. This brief supports the constitutional practice of legislatures and other bodies of government opening public meetings with prayer.
Freedom of religious expression is an issue I take very seriously. As a member of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, I will continue to ensure Americans enjoy the right to worship freely and openly express our convictions. For more information on this issue or to receive additional legislative updates, please visit http://adriansmith.house.gov.
Sincerely,
ADRIAN SMITH
Member of Congress
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