Ultimate Facepalm for the Right: "Prayer is a secular activity, it's NOT religious!"

[ck4829]

Occasionally live television provides a vivid display of the mental gymnastics and cognitive dissonance deployed to advance an argument. Take Fox News' Megyn Kelly, who recently asked what was so "promotional about religion" in setting aside a day to celebrate "the role that God has played in the formation of this country and its laws."

Discussing a court ruling that declared national prayer day unconstitutional, Kelly hosted Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Lynn set forth an argument against the appropriateness of the government setting aside a day to commemorate prayer:

Prayer is religious. It's nothing but that. There is no secular purpose here. This isn't like declaring Christmas a holiday, which the federal government does, because that's got not just religious rituals, but now glommed onto it all secular rituals. National Day of Prayer is only about religion. There is nothing secular about it.

At this point, Kelly jumped in to display an astounding failure to grasp the concept:

Why can't it be a day where people acknowledge not just prayer, but they are encouraged to meditate as well, which is not necessarily prayer? And why can't it be a day where we take a moment and we stop and we acknowledge the role that God has played in the formation of this country and its laws. What's so promotional about religion there?

It just so happens that just about everything about setting aside a day to "take a moment" to "acknowledge the role that God has played in the formation of this country and its law" is "promotional about religion." It's actually the epitome of promoting religion.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201004160043

[ixion]

1. because they're just that stupid

really.

[Javaman]

13. more than that...

it's their ham-handed attempt at mainstreaming religion.

[Whisp]

14. they are depending on the stupid

These people know what they're doing. You think this woman is really religious or just playing the god card?

[Fumesucker]

2. The bubbleheaded bleachblonde comes on at five..

She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye..

[Jokerman]

8. It's interesting when people die...

Give us dirty laundry.

I had no idea what this idiot looked like until you posted her picture. She looks as shallow as she sounds.

[Fumesucker]

9. I'd never seen her before, I Googled and she was exactly the stereotype from the song..

Even down to the bleachblonde roots.

[msanthrope]

22. "is the head dead yet?" n/t

[mwb970]

3. This is what religion does to people.

It dumbs them down. WAY down.

[WolverineDG]

4. I don't know if I'm smart enough to respond to you, then

but it's not religion that dumbs people down. It's blind adherence to a political ideology that dumbs them down.

dg

[Orsino]

7. It's what big corporate money does to people.

In the case of Kelly, it's probably her religion.

[rurallib]

10. religions in this country are big corporations

that don't pay taxes.

[Arugula Latte]

16. "Amen," rurallib.

[eShirl]

5. Wasn't there something about denying the Lord supposedly being a sin?

And if praying to God is secular, not religious, then they must be "taking the Lord's name in vain."

[baldguy]

6. Karl Marx never saw what moonshine does to people.

[LibertyLover]

11. Words simply fail me after reading that

I simply couldn't bring myself to listen to it. I'm sitting in front of my computer shaking my head, not so much in disbelief as bewilderment that someone could be that stupid. But then I remember it was on Fox News and I realize that yes, Virginia, somebody is that stupid. Dammit Megyn - stop perpetuating the "dumb blonde" meme already!

[SidDithers]

12. Barry Lynn is one of my heroes...nt

Sid

[astral]

15. I take it we're in opposition to a National Day of Prayer?

Is it something we want to prevent from happening? Is it going to hurt someone? Offend someone?

I suppose we're happy about the new coin that has removed "In God We Trust" from it too?

Praying is not about any particular religion so it is not 'promoting' religion. And if people are not into it and want to ignore it, where's the harm to them that others want to participate?

Doesn't 'live and let live' work when dealing with spiritual differences?

[DearAbby]

17. You have your day of prayer

everyday. Why do you need a government to acknowledge your praying habits?

It offends me.

[EFerrari]

18. Sure, which is why our government has no business proclaiming a day of prayer.

We seem to have plenty of prayer and a dearth of thinking. I wish Obama would declare a "Take Your Brain to Work Day" or "National Rational Thinking Day or "Act Like A Nice Person Day". lol

[Arugula Latte]

20. +1

But, you know, this is America. Intellectualism is frowned upon and irrational thinking and belief in organized superstition is looked on as the 'Murikin Way.

[Arugula Latte]

19. What coin removed "In God We Trust"?

If that's true, yes, I am happy about that. I'm tired of having religion shoved in my face every second. And that IS promoting religion -- maybe not a particular one, but religion in general.

Religion -- Keep it to yourself.

[Brickbat]

21. I don't know about "we," but "I" oppose a national day of prayer proclaimed by the government.

Also, don't spread lies about the coin being "designed" without "In God We Trust."

(http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp

Praying is about religion so it is promoting religion.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. It violates the first amendment. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

can and should be taken to mean that not only will congress not form or promote a state religion, neither will it show preference of one religion over another. To have a national day of prayer, while it can be ecumenical, is still promoting religion and showing preference not for one religion over another but for religious people over non-religious people.

There is nothing wrong with a unified day of prayer and meditation. I think it is a lovely idea for anyone who wants to participate, but it doesn't require sanctioning by the US government. Leave it to the religions themselves to organize it. :)

(I am editing to address the issue of having the President declare a day of prayer rather than the congress. My feeling on this is that it doesn't make sense for something that would not be ok for congress to do would be ok for the president to do. Whether or not the SCOTUS would agree, you'd have to find someone a lot smarter than me to figure that out. :) )

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. You're parroting a right-wing LIE. See link:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp

[FiveGoodMen]

26. "Doesn't 'live and let live' work when dealing with spiritual differences?"

No, it doesn't.

Because the other side is never willing to do that.

[marshall]

24. We do pray to the court when we address a judge

Like marriage, it is something that skirts the natural and the supernatural.