Oklahoma Republican: No Jewish or Muslim Chaplains Allowed

[DonViejo]

You know how each session of state legislatures opens with a prayer? Well, down in Oklahoma, they’ve cooked up a clever way to make sure only Christians deliver it.

DEAN OBEIDALLAH
02.23.18 5:16 AM ET

Oklahoma, where only Christians are allowed to give the opening prayer!

Okay, not as catchy as the actual Oscar Hammerstein lyrics to the title song from Oklahoma!, but it sums up well the goal of one Republican state legislator.

You see, in the Sooner State, each session of the state legislature opens with a prayer by the “chaplain of the day” who is invited by one of the members of the state legislature. These chaplains are given up to five minutes to deliver their inspirational, faith-based remarks.

Well now, Chuck Strohm, the Republican Oklahoma state representative charged with coordinating the “chaplain of the day” program, quietly changed the program's rules a few weeks ago. Given that Strohm is a conservative Republican in the deeply red state of Oklahoma, do you think he made the program more or less embracing of minority faiths? Stop laughing. Of course, Strohm is trying to prevent non-Christians clerics from giving the opening remarks.

However, Strohm utilized the typical “cleverness” of modern day Republicans by enacting a policy that’s neutral on its face but in reality is horribly discriminatory. It’s like the way the GOP championed voter id laws that on their face don’t say we want to disenfranchise black and Latino voters but, as many courts have found, in actuality that was both the intent and the practical impact.

So what how did Strohm, a graduate of the conservative Christian Oral Roberts University that featured Michele Bachmann as the commencement speaker in 2014, change the chaplain program? His recent letter setting forth the new rule explains it: “We do ask that the Chaplain be from the Representative’s own place of worship.”

Well that might be okay except for one small thing: In the current Oklahoma state legislature, there are zero legislators who are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or other minority faiths. This is Strohm’s way of only allowing Christian clerics to give the opening prayer.

more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/oklahoma-republican-no-jewish-or-muslim-chaplains-allowed?ref=home

[turnitup]

1. time to vote in

Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist etc letislators

[Kber]

2. For clergy with a conscience theres a way around this

Invite other faith clergy to be “guest residents” or “guest teachers” to their places of worship.

My synagogue has a relationship with a nearby mosque, Catholic Church, Baptist Church and Hindu temple. I have met the clergy from each and I’ll bet they’d each sign up for such a system.

[atreides1]

4. Here's the problem

I believe that any "clergy" that's considered acceptable, will probably have the same feelings as the good senator...no Jews, no Muslims, no one but good conservative "Christian" folk, need apply!

In other words they have the same conscience as the senator does!!!

[dembotoz]

3. perhaps i have lived too long...growing up ...Never Again meant something

and to see vile shit like this here...in my country....


not sad....rage

[Cha]

5. Whatever.. repubs are the

anti-Christ en masse..

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. The "program is not a platform for personal agendas", so he's limiting it to the personal pastors

of representatives, rather than any religious leader - let alone a non-religious one. It's complete bullshit.

[uponit7771]

7. All dems have to do is change their place of worship for a day and invite every religion available