Saturday, July 09, 2011

The Obama Administration and Vanilla Prayers

The Houston National Cemetery, which, at 419 acres, is the second-largest cemetery administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, exceeded in size only by Arlington.  Recently, however, (Arleen) Ocasio, the cemetery’s Obama-appointed director, has been credibly accused of engaging in a pattern of censorship directed against private religious expression.

In May, with the approach of Memorial Day, Ocasio required that the ministers who planned to speak at the cemetery submit their proposed prayers to her in advance. Pastor Scott Rainey of Living Word Church did so, and was told to revise his prayers to be more “inclusive” — by excluding specific reference to his own religion.

Rainey took his case to federal district court in Houston, where Judge Lynn Hughes sharply rebuked the VA and Ocasio, issuing a restraining order against them on May 26. As Hughes said in his opinion, “the government cannot gag citizens” in the name of “some bureaucrat’s notion of cultural homogeneity.”

Scott Rainey prayed on Memorial Day as he had originally proposed, including the Lord’s Prayer and this closing: “While respecting people of every faith today, it is in the name of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, that I pray. Amen.”

I'm glad Mr Rainey happened to get the right judge, but since Memorial Day, Obama's prayer monitor is at it again:

 The chapel has allegedly been closed, its cross and Bible removed, and it is now said to be used as a “meeting space” when it is unlocked at all. The carillon in the 75-foot bell tower no longer tolls on a regular basis. And members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the National Memorial Ladies, attending upon the bereaved families and friends at veterans’ funerals, say they have been required to have their prayers pre-approved by Ocasio’s office, and have been told that the words “God” and “Jesus” are not to be used by them if they wish to continue their volunteer service at the cemetery.

I think we need some peaceful civil resistance aimed directly at our over-reaching federal government.

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4 comments:

SkyePuppy said...

Over-reaching? Not a chance! Don't you realize, they're not a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. They're our rulers, and it's about time all those religious nuts get used to it.

Malott said...

Limbaugh said last Friday that 43% of the people in this country rely upon the federal government for handouts of one kind or another. That's what we're up against... that's what gives them power to change our country.

This religious nut is ready to go down swinging...

Delta R. Vines said...

Excuse me? These are my properties because my tax dollars go to upkeep and because this is the U.S. and I will pray in Jesus Name outload on any public ground which I help pay for that I please.

Btw, I wish I knew the people making these decisions because I'd write the President directly and complain.

Delta R. Vines said...

Uh, oh. Mistake on the fourth line down.

It's supposed "out loud", not out load". My bad.