I have seen there is a bit of a hubub on the teevee machine about the President Obama choosing to downplay the National Day of Prayer. Honestly I think that is a good idea.
Now this is normally an issue I would stay away from like the plague, but it seems to be getting a fair amount of chatter. What I find interesting is that it, also serves to show the conservative (small 'c') side of the President.
What I mean by that, is there are those who believe issues of worship should be private and while others believe in more ostentatious showings of faith. I believe our current President is more the former and not the latter.
For me? Well most who know me would say I am agnostic at best, possibly with a more animist look at theology at this point. But I do have a very firm belief in the separation of Church and State. Steve Benen has a nice post on the subject over at the Washington Monthly, his previous career gives him a bit of insight in to the various maneuvering that go in these situations.
You do not have to be an atheist to think that most displays of religious fealty in the public square need to be carefully scrutinized. Just as much as the State needs separation from religious concerns, even more so the Church needs to be protected from the machinations and abuses of the State.
Prayer, at least from what I learned should not need a day of commemoration, the faithful should be doing it every day. Nor should it matter whether it is recognized by others, since it is by its very nature a personal conversation between you and your god, gods, or a noodley appendage. Who cares what others think?
So yeah I applaud the President for trying (in vain) to dial the notch back a bit on this, and lower the political temperature.
-Cheers
No comments:
Post a Comment