"Mayor Eddie Price started holding weekly Bible study sessions at City Hall on April 13 and continued the practice Thursday. He said the lunchtime program is open to people of all faiths and the location makes it easy for his employees to participate.
But the mayor's decision to hold the sessions calls into question whether the practice violates the political doctrine known as the separation of church and state called for in the Constitution.
About 20 people attended the first Bible study, held in a conference room at City Hall, Price said. Roughly the same number joined the second session, this time in the City Council chambers, though several new faces were present, Councilman Jerry Coogan said. He noted that Marlaine Peachey, the mayor's secretary, donated the food for last week's program.
Price, who considers himself nondenominational, bristled when a reporter asked about the practice, saying he feels it is his right to hold Bible study sessions inside a public building if he chooses. He noted that the sessions are nondenominational and that anyone interested in participating may join the group."
Well there's your first lie, hoss, and since your lying that means everything else is subject to question as well.
Reading from the New Testament damn sure denominates you, Mr. Mayor, and mealy-mouthing your way around the subject isn't helping people of good will, and without agenda, to see your side of the story. You're a Christian, preaching Christianity in a government building. And sure the Constitution forbids placing restrictions on most religious practices, but the framers kinda wanted the government out of the religion-making business, too.
The final say, of course, should come from the law abiding citizens of the town, and not a bunch of lawyers. The Mayor, despite his stupidity, is not harming anyone, calling for the harm of anyone (we hope, because some of those damn-them-all-to-hell speechifyin's can get downright nasty), and as long as no taxpayer money is funding the thing, then why not.
But don't play dumb and say this isn't a borderline call. Oh, and where is this taking place? Dunno. Nowhere is it mentioned in the email from Stop The ACLU, and WHERE doesn't matter as much as the meat and potatoes of the story, but I'm sure if you click into them you'll find out. That's kinda one of the first credo's of responsible journalism, but it isn't my job to go editing other people's slapdashery.
Wait...the ACLU let's us know from whence this comes: "But not everyone would feel welcome at a gathering of this type, which makes holding the sessions at City Hall problematic, said Joe Cook, executive director of the Louisiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Cook was unaware of the Bible study sessions until contacted by The Times-Picayune."
See. They ARE good for something.
2 comments:
Nondenominational does not mean the same thing as interfaith.
Now, now, splitting hairs was not what the FF's imagined. There are more Baptists who believe Catholics aren't even in the same ballpark, and as a born and raised Catholic I can aver with absolute certainty the fact that anyone not Catholic wasn't even considered Christian, but pagen offshoots unworthy of the appellation. Reality is what it is regardless of how we try and sneak around it. Thats why religion and politics are tough to discuss, and are better left apart.
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