Hindu Chaplain Leads Prayer In U.S. Senate And Is Shouted Down By Christian Right

[napkinz]

After Hindu priest Rajan Zed was called to the Senate podium to offer the invocation, he was shouted down by fundamentalist Christians. One shouted out "Lord Jesus, forgive us for allowing the prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight."


http://crooksandliars.com/2014/05/rude-stupid-christians-interrupt-hindu by karoli May 7, 2014

http://aattp.org/intolerant-christians-rudely-interrupt-hindu-senate-invocation-video/ by K.L Nelson May 8, 2014


edit: I apologize. Despite the recent dates, the story is several years old.

[Lochloosa]

1. Assholes....

[harun]

2. Very rude and disrespectful

Sad to see him treated that way.

[tabasco]

3. Religion

Greatest proof of mankind's cowardice and stupidity.

[amuse bouche]

30. So true

I do wonder why posters always have to add 'right' after Christian, when Christian would suffice.

[Jamaal510]

49. Obama is a life-long Christian

"Religion Greatest proof of mankind's cowardice and stupidity."

...and he seems pretty brave and coherent.

[tabasco]

53. Anybody who believes they're going to some fairyland after they die

is afraid of dying and dealing with it in a stupid, irrational manner.

Obama included.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. Still wrong what they did but I believe this happened about 7 years ago.

NOT that it's not probably still happening today. It's just odd how these stories resurface as if they just happened. Not yelling at OP but I knew this sounded familiar.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071202007.html

[napkinz]

15. the story is appearing on a number of sites as if it just happened

Not sure why the story is making the rounds now. I thought this was a NEW story.

[CurtEastPoint]

16. No worries. I saw that it had recent dates when I searched. I guess someone dusted it off!

It never hurts to hear these awful things so we DO NOT FORGET!

Thanks for posting it!

[napkinz]

22. seems several sites "dusted it off" ... I wonder why

But as you say -- even though it happened a few years ago -- it's a good reminder of the vile hatred we STILL must confront.

[Ms. Toad]

44. Likely in response to the Grease decision from the Supreme Court. n/t

[Chellee]

57. I think the reason it's being revisited is because of the Benhams.

The group that interrupted the priest is Operation Save America. The head of the organization is the father of the the two guys who just had their reality/renovation show yanked by HGTV.

They are making a big tour of the right wing media playing victims of religious oppression.

[Bluzmann57]

5. For starters, there shouldn't be any prayer at all in Senate

Separation of church and state. But since there is, why can't all religions be allowed to freely practice their particular type of religion? Oh wait, I know. Because it's only freedom of religion if you happen to agree with the fundies type of religion.
So here's something decidedly non religious and also something to add fuel to the hate mail bag here at DU about obscenities. Fuck you, you "religious" right wingers. That man has as much right to be a Hindu as you do to be whatever it is that you are.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Anyone who didn't see the hidden agenda of opening prayers before a town meeting is

really clueless.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Solution: Enough with the prayers already

To the extent that this incident demonstrates the need for separation of church and state in the public square, I applaud it. Especially in Congress, the biggest and, if it's to reflect the best aspects of the nation, most diverse public square of all.

[Auntie Bush]

8. Why the hell would any young person ever want to join a religion?

Especially the Christian Right. We should start referring to them as the Christian Wrong!

[OriginalGeek]

36. It's a powerful message

to be told you'll live forever and you are better than everyone else. (Well, if you're straight and white).

This thought mainly applies to the christian right part of your question.

[Boomerproud]

39. It's more powerful to be told if you don't believe you will end up in a fiery lake

for all eternity. Fear is more a motivator than love and kindness as far as religion goes.

[Jamaal510]

48. I personally

have used Lutneranism essentially as a guide for how to live my own life, and how to treat people. Despite religion being a factor in much of the word's issues, I would still argue that it in general has had a lot of good to offer people, whether we're talking about Christianity's Ten commandments or Buddhism's Eightfold Path. Where things go wrong is when people who have malevolent agendas push them in the name of their religion, thus giving religion a bad name.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Very nasty behavior when it actually happened in 2007

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071202007.html

Associated Press
Friday, July 13, 2007

A Hindu clergyman made history yesterday by offering the Senate's morning prayer, but only after police officers removed three protesters from the visitors' gallery.


Rajan Zed, director of interfaith relations at a Hindu temple in Reno, Nev., gave the prayer that opens each day's Senate session. As he stood at the lectern in a bright orange and burgundy robe, two women and a man began shouting "this is an abomination" and other complaints from the gallery.

Police officers arrested them and charged them disrupting Congress, a misdemeanor. The male protester said "we are Christians and patriots" before police led them away. Police identified the protesters as Ante Nedlko Pavkovic, Katherine Lynn Pavkovic and Christan Renee Sugar. Their home towns were not available.

For several days, the Mississippi-based American Family Association has urged its members to object to the prayer because Zed would be "seeking the invocation of a non-monotheistic god."

[AScott]

10. This story is seven years old.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajan_Zed_prayer_protest

[Fred Sanders]

12. Really? Author should have pointed that out, but still worth repeating.

[CurtEastPoint]

17. The OP didn't know the date. It does bear repeating, as you said.

[jberryhill]

14. Well good. Then it is old enough to speak for itself.

[napkinz]

25. the dates listed were May 7 and May 8 of THIS year

For some reason, the story is popping up on several sites NOW.

I wasn't aware this happened years ago.

I apologize.

[Stryder]

41. "For some reason, the story is popping up on several sites NOW."

Probably to highlight the latest SCOTUS clusterfuck.
Thanks for posting though, I missed it first time around.
Tells all you need to know about the "Faithful."
Luckily their Parents taught them the only one true word.
You know, just like all the other true believer on the planet.

[amuse bouche]

31. So what

Has anything changed since then? If anything, the Christian creeps are worse now

[AScott]

37. Without that information, readers would assume the stiory was contemporary.

So what

Just providing context.

[Fred Sanders]

11. America, meet your religious extremist, the Christotaliban, it is so obvious.

[hootinholler]

18. I prefer the talibornagain

A small but loud sect.

[malaise]

13. The American Taliban is live and well

All prayer should be separate from matters state.
I walk out of meetings when people insist on prayer and return when they are finished with their mumbo jumbo.

Years ago, a few of us were asked to be judges in a mock UN debate.
After we announced the winner, the UN lady started to proselytize her religion at which point I told I colleague I was not going to put up with this crap. I got up and walked out while she was speaking and my two colleagues followed me. Several students followed us.

I will not be bullied - they will not get away with imposing their religious practices on me.

[napkinz]

19. Christian fundies attacking a brown-skinned preacher ... they are truly blind

[progree]

38. Jesus Part 2

[HockeyMom]

20. Want their heads to explode?

Invite the Satanist from Florida who is volunteering his services.

[lpbk2713]

21. And these are the clowns who invoke the "founding fathers" at every opportunity.

How little these mouth breathing dumbasses know.

[jeff47]

23. Golly, I wonder how those Christians would react to someone shouting down their prayer. (nt)

[Cartoonist]

24. Dusting off

I think the reason this is re-appearing is because of the recent ruling allowing prayer before public meetings.

[whatchamacallit]

26. This is why

this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4924675

is bullshit

[DeSwiss]

27. Harry!

- You could have arrested those assholes and you missed your chance!

K&R

Offices and Functions Under the Jurisdiction of the Sergeant at Arms

Chief Law Enforcement Officer

As the Senate’s chief law enforcement officer, the sergeant at arms can compel senators to come to the Senate Chamber to establish a quorum. In addition, the sergeant at arms supervises the Senate wing of the Capitol, maintaining security in the Capitol and in all the Senate buildings and controlling access to the Senate Chamber and galleries. The sergeant at arms also protects the members and can arrest and detain any person violating Senate rules. On the orders of the Senate, the sergeant at arms can even arrest the president of the United States. link

[MineralMan]

28. Although old, the story is still pertinent.

For Republicans, freedom of religion only applies to white protestant fundamentalist Christians. All others must be beaten down and shamed with loud words and insults.

[whatchamacallit]

29. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024931183#post26

[MineralMan]

32. You have misunderstood the point of that thread.

Sorry. I hold both opinions, and they are not contradictory. Unlike the Republicans, I think people should believe what they can believe, and would never ridicule someone's belief in public unless their belief was harmful to others.

[whatchamacallit]

35. And the best way to ensure that is

to abide by the spirit of separation of church and state and not sanction public prayer. Your "it aint so bad, just look the other way" OP is crap.

[3catwoman3]

33. It might be 7 years old...

...but the passage of time doesn't change how despicable it was. I can see some of today's fundies either doing the same or cheering on someone who did.

[MohRokTah]

34. So we see, Hinduism is spirtual. Fundamentalist Christianity is abominable.

I cannot believe how some people can be such assholes. They should be arrested for disturbing the peace.

[freshwest]

45. I don't pick a side; but I liked what he was saying. It did NOT exclude Christians. I wish I could

have heard it in a way that one could reflect on what he had to say. I thought it was generically spiritual. Don't know why the others felt their behavior showed moral superiority, period. It was disgusting, they are not at Sunday school.

But how can we forget the insanity last year whn the woman screamed that the USA Government must not be reopened.

Truly, many are walking around in a trance or a state of hypnosis. And it's not pretty

[freshwest]

46. I don't pick a side; but I liked what he was saying. It did NOT exclude Christians. I wish I could

have heard it in a way that one could reflect on what he had to say. I thought it was generically spiritual. Don't know why the others felt their behavior showed moral superiority, period. It was disgusting, they are not at Sunday school.

But how can we forget the insanity last year whn the woman screamed that the USA Government must not be reopened.

Truly, many are walking around in a trance or a state of hypnosis. And it's not pretty

[Rex]

40. RWing fundamentalist are an embarrassment to the human race.

They drank the kool-aid and asked for more! Sick people, with sick minds - full of hate and fear.

[Orrex]

42. I guess this proves that Federal prayer really is a ceremonial, rather than religious, function

[Swede Atlanta]

43. The Xtian right believe "freedom of religion" belongs exclusively to them....

They applaud when the SCOTUS says that a prayer can be invoked at the beginning of a city council meeting. They applaud when the state enacts a voucher program for private schools.

As long as that means the prayer is Christian and the voucher program only pays for Christian schools.

They have absolutely no interest in allowing, in the narrow environment carved out by court precedent, religious engagement in our political and other lives if that involves non-Christians (and probably any non-fundamentalist Christians).

They are hypocrites of the worst kind. They are despicable for their lack of toleration.

Do they know that Islam is the fastest growing religion in this country? Do they know there are literally thousands of legally-recognized faith traditions in this country?

They don't care because for them religion means fundamentalist, born-again Talibanism. They are the only voice for God in this country. Everything else is evil and apostate.

[McCamy Taylor]

47. Hindus think monotheists are crazy and rude...and they are correct. Love the expression on his face.

Anyone who does not respect someone else's god needs to go live in a desert by himself where he will not bother civilized people.

[napkinz]

50. Praised Be The SUPREME Court!

[napkinz]

51. Florida town’s choice: Violate Supreme Court ruling or open meeting with Satanic prayer

By Scott Kaufman
May 9, 2014

Less than three days after the Supreme Court ruled in Town of Greece v. Galloway that prayers before town meetings did not violate the Constitution’s ban on endorsing religion, a self-styled Satanist in Deerfield Beach, Florida has asked city officials to let him open a meeting with a Satanic prayer.

Chaz Stevens — who made headlines last December when he forced Florida Governor Rick Scott to allow him to erect an 8-foot-tall Festivus pole made of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans next to Deerfield Beach’s nativity manger — told the New Times that he recently converted from “Pabstfestidian” because “Satan is a cool dude.”

“Think of all the people he’s in charge of,” Stevens said. “Do you want to be stuck listening to harp music in the afterlife? Hell no. I want to drink beer and hang with hookers.”

He then tacked to a more serious course, adding “I just want equal billing. We allow various religious nutjobs to give a prayer. They pray to Jesus who is make-believe, god who is make-believe, why not Satan who is make-believe?”

“Why discriminate against one make-believe god over another?” he continued. “Satan and I are being circumvented. The city of Deerfield Beach has once again declared war on religion — and this time it’s Satanism.”

read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/09/florida-towns-choice-violate-supreme-court-ruling-or-open-meeting-with-satanic-prayer/

[spanone]

52. your right-wing idea of religious freedom

[napkinz]

54. VA Official: Non-Christian Public Prayer Violates My Rights ‘Because I Don’t Believe That’ (Video)

John Prager
May 12, 2014

The recent Greece v. Galloway Supreme Court decision, which affirmed the right of groups to offer sectarian prayer at legislative meetings has caused quite a stir. Not only has it smashed a gaping hole through the wall between church and state, but it has opened the door to non-Christian groups offering said prayers.

For instance, Florida resident Chaz Stevens has requested to deliver a prayer to his lord and master (Satan) at a legislative meeting–something he can now do under his newfound “religious freedom.”

Unfortunately that right of any religion to offer sectarian prayer will not be honored in Roanoke County, Virginia. Al Bedrosian, a member of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors has decided, despite that ruling, that ONLY Christians will be allowed to offer invocation prayers at their meetings from this point forward.

read more: http://aattp.org/va-official-non-christian-public-prayer-violates-my-rights-because-i-dont-believe-that-video/

[napkinz]

55. ...

https://www.facebook.com/NoTeaParty


edit: the only problem I have with this graphic, science is not religion

[Puzzledtraveller]

56. gasp

The stench of old news and knee-jerk reactions.