Bad Obama administration. Don’t do that. Bad, bad, bad.
The Obama administration has taken sides in a significant new test case on the separation between church and state, urging the Supreme Court to allow prayers at the beginning of government meetings. The administration lays out its arguments in a newly filed amicus brief in Town of Greece v. Galloway, a case that questions whether the prayer practices at town council meetings of a small town in upstate New York violate the First Amendment. The case could drastically expand the types of legislative prayer practices considered constitutional.
Bad. Bad, bad, bad.
The administration argued in its brief:
Where, as here, legislative prayers neither proselytize nor denigrate any faith, the inclusion of Christian references alone does not constitute an impermissible advancement or establishment of religion. So long as the goal of the government-backed prayer is not to recruit believers or criticize a given faith then the practice should be supported. Neither federal courts nor legislative bodies are well suited to police the content of such prayers, and this Court has consistently disapproved of government interference in dictating the substance of prayers.
The practice should be supported? Wtf? Why? And how is that by any stretch of the imagination their job?
Pathetic.
If you were to put Islamic instead of Christian references would this the administration still have the same opinion (and support)?
Why are you surprised? It’s part of giving the de facto Christian theocracy USA a legal basis. What I find funny is that these dorks never acknowledge how completely different even the 3000 sects of Christianity are, let alone other religious denominations. Will these be Catholic-flavored prayers, or Lutheran or Baptist or Mormon ones? Do Christian torture symbols in US government offices have to have a dead guy dangling from them or not?
I’ll stop now.
But – but he’s an avowed secularist. ( video: Daily Show )
From a link in the article:
*headdesk*
It’s a good think the President has a (D) after his name, or I’d be pissed.
Go out of the way to file a brief. WTF, Obama?
I’m sure this was more cynical playing to the center and fuck the bozos, but do you suppose this could have a reverse psychology effect on Scalia and Thomas?
Wow, really Obama?
“…the inclusion of Christian references alone does not constitute an impermissible advancement or establishment of religion.”
Governments praying as an opening isn’t the definition of advancing a particular religion? Bloody hell…
Well, at least now the tea-partiers will stop saying Obama’s a secret Muslim/atheist/antichrist.
(Spoiler alert: No they won’t.)
Always intriguing how the Obama regime believes in the rule of law – except when it doesn’t. Just as today’s report of a Mexican court ruling a druglord’s conviction invalid – for solid legal reasons – and Obama’s folks are all upset about it; to the extent that they want the druglord sent to the USA so he can be charged here for crimes committed on Mexican territory…….. at the same time they won’t extradite a convicted oligarch to Russia; yes I know there is no treaty and the conviction is highly suspect. “a nation of laws” folks. Remember that!!
USA right – always. Everyone else wrong – always. I think I’ve got it, finally.
@1: Yes. I’m pretty sure the administration position is that prayers should be non-sectarian and given by a rotating group of all religions and humanists.
Politics trumps the Constitution.