Omitting Clergy at 9/11 Ceremony Prompts Protest

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

The second Sunday after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, New York clergy members of many faiths joined elected officials at Yankee Stadium in a city-sponsored memorial ceremony that melded the sacred and the secular, replete with flags, prayers and tears.

Ten years later, any consensus that existed about the appropriate role of religion in public ceremonies marking a monumental American trauma has fallen apart.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has come under attack by some religious and political leaders for not including clergy members as speakers at Sunday’s official ceremony at ground zero on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Richard D. Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which is the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, said in an interview that the planned ceremony only proved that New York was the “epicenter of secularism,” out of step with the rest of America.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/nyregion/omitting-clergy-from-911-ceremony-prompts-protest.html?pagewanted=all

---

If this ceremony is sponsored by government, then the clergy should hold their own 9/11 memorial events rather than demand government sponsorship. Furthermore, here's another interesting thing: unless the NY Times is reporting in such a slanted, anti-Christian fashion, the article doesn't mention any MUSLIMS demanding a spot!

[No Elephants]

1. Anything preventing churches, synagogues, mosques, covens, whatever, from holding services and

inviting folks?

I would not have had an objection to someone who is not homophobic or condemning fool doing an invocation and I have no objection to omitting an invocation. Maybe it's time some religious folk lost their sense of entitlement, though. They don't own goverhment and they don't own 911.

[alp227]

2. Land is quoted saying "Bloomberg is pretending we’re a secular society, and we are not."

RRRRGHHH!!!!! First Amendment, anybody?????

[No Elephants]

8. The religious RW has that all sorted out in their alternate universe, As long

as Congress does not pass a law establishing one specific religion as the official religion of the U.S., as the Anglican is (in theory) the official religion of the UK, they believe the Constitution is being adhered to.

I used to watch a lot of religious tv. There was a guy who ran a mega church in Coral Gables, former dance instructor, now passed away, who started parsing American history and the Constitution to suit himself every Sunday. At least, he was the first one I saw who seemed to make a fetish of it.

Now, they all do it.

I am a person of faith, but I am embarrassed to admit that, given the spread of so many bad examples of people who professw faith.

[alp227]

14. A good analogy to Christians demanding the right to proselytize at government-sponsored events:

Screaming toddlers at the mall.

[BiggJawn]

18. That was D. James Kennedy, one of the Fathers of Dominionism.

Used to air his show when I worked in religious Teeee-Veeeeee. Church had a huge classical organ played by the talented Diane Bish, but frankly, I can't recall much of what he preached back then. He wasn't as "out in front" as Rod Parsley.

[oldhippydude]

5. phuck the phaith industry

what part of the first amendment don't they understand..

[quakerboy]

17. But thats the thing of it

AS far as they are concerned, they do own it. They got have the republican party and the teabag party, with the possibility of multiple majorities upcoming on state and federal levels. When you throw in the fact that many of the democrats kowtow as well, and the utter lack of consideration for others, means they do effectively seem to own it and can often do whatever they darn well please.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. I think the New York skyline has had enough religion for one decade.

[msanthrope]

21. Best comment of the thread. n/t

[deacon_sephiroth]

4. GOOD!

Tell them to take their sacred cow and go home. When are the ygoing to wake up to the fact that every person on the planet DOES NOT have to pay lip service to your religion WHATEVER IT MAY BE. No one has to bow their heads just because you're wearing pretty robes and waving your hands in the air and invoking ancient texts and YOU SAY SO. We're not casting spells here, this isn't dungeons and dragons, it's reality.

[Historic NY]

6. Where are all theses groups on 12/7 ??

I'll be down there in a couple hours as the annual memorial pipe march begins.

[Tom Ripley]

7. Dick Land wasn't held under long enough (n/t)

[Ian David]

9. This is the one thing Bloomberg got right about the ceremony.

[Odin2005]

16. Great picture. 9/11 is what made me into an Atheist.

[VWolf]

10. New York was the “epicenter of secularism”

I for one hope it stays that way.

[BiggJawn]

19. I hope it spreads.

Secularism, far and wide.
It'd be a Beautiful thing...

[blueclown]

11. Good for Mayor Bloomberg.

He should hold steady on that decision.

[closeupready]

12. Clergy would be completely inappropriate, IMO.

Stand your ground, Mayor.

[Mz Pip]

13. The clergy seem to be intent

on making it all about them. It's supposed to be about the families of 9/11 victims. They need to respect that.

No one is stopping them from holding their own service at one of the many churches in NYC.

[Odin2005]

15. Good. Religion is what flew those plains into WTC. Fuck Religion.

[krabigirl]

20. Yep. Well, that and our foreign policy.

[kwassa]

22. My wife went to the interfaith service in DC today.

I had childcare duty, and I am sorry I missed it. It sounded pretty impressive.