Mar 20 2013
Not another one of these — all over the country, towns open their council meetings with pointless prayers, and when someone points out that that is unconstitutional and stupid, they go whining to their local paper or radio station and make an appeal to the Christian sheep in their region. So this is just one out of a multitude, but go ahead, try to wake up the parochial little pissants in Rowlett, Texas.
Should prayer continue before Rowlett City Council meetings?
Yes 69%
No 31%
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35 comments
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Gregory in Seattle
20 March 2013 at 8:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Because the city council is too incompetent to do their job without first consulting with an imaginary friend.
nora
20 March 2013 at 8:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It’s now at Yes 58, No 42. This shouldn’t take long.
chigau (違う)
20 March 2013 at 8:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
50/50
doublereed
20 March 2013 at 8:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
45/55
lol, I wonder if they’re going to take down the poll now.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls
20 March 2013 at 9:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Funny how an omnipresent being has to be called in by invoking its name. Almost sounds like some type of fantasy game.
Rawnaeris, FREEZE PEACHES
20 March 2013 at 9:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
45/55
Unfortunately the attached article is correct that prayer is common in DFW council meetings.
@doublereed, a church attempting a reverse-phayrngulation is somewhat more likely, as wfaa is a legit news source. The last time we pharyngulated a poll in DFW, it made the news, several different outlets, for being so far the opposite of the expected result. (I’m from the area, so I remember little stuff like that.)
Gvlgeologist, FCD
20 March 2013 at 9:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Loved the 1st comment:
My response was: “So much for the 1st amendment, eh, Acadian?”
Incidentally, you can **cough**vote more than once**cough**.
thumper1990
20 March 2013 at 9:19 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
BWAhahaha! Yes- 32% No- 68%. Well done, the Horde™!
Also, Gvlgeologist is correct; refreshing the page allows you to vote again :) I may have voted twice *looks sheepish*.
Moggie
20 March 2013 at 9:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I suggest they use Matthew 6:5-6 as the basis for their next prayer.
LykeX
20 March 2013 at 9:34 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Now at Yes: 24% – No: 76%
Total votes are at 516. We stand a good chance of not only swinging this poll, but smashing it out of the park.
thumper1990
20 March 2013 at 9:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I wonder if there’ll be a last minute pushback from… Oh, I dunno… 200 Mums, or something? The Rowlett Empty Chair Conversationalists Committee?
LykeX
20 March 2013 at 9:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sounds like a simple, even solution that everyone can live with. Those who want to pray, can pray. Those who want to pick their nose, can pick their nose.
Alternative solution: keep the prayer, but have it delivered by someone from the Church of Satan. You can even keep the disclaimer, so the Christians don’t have to participate. Everybody’s happy.
Right?
David Marjanović
20 March 2013 at 10:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ye who believe ye have voted twice, consider: when everyone votes at the same time, refreshing will show the vote count going up, regardless of whether your vote was counted.
mobius
20 March 2013 at 11:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
No: 88%
busterggi
20 March 2013 at 11:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
12% yes, 88% no – c’mon people, we can Pharangulate better than that!
anuran
20 March 2013 at 11:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
As always I say “Fine. No problem. Pray away.”
Only thing, the prayrer has to start with
“Alahu Akbar
Bismillāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm
Al ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-ʿālamīn
Ar raḥmāni r-raḥīm
Māliki yawmi d-dīn
Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn
Ihdinā ṣ-ṣirāṭa al-mustaqīm
Ṣirāṭa al-laḏīna anʿamta ʿalayhim ġayri l-maġḍūbi ʿalayhim walā ḍ-ḍāllīn”
Emrysmyrddin
20 March 2013 at 12:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yes: 10% – 146
No: 90% – 1313
Uncle Ebeneezer
20 March 2013 at 12:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Something tells me there will be no “well here’s what you had to say on our poll” follow up by the paper.
otrame
20 March 2013 at 12:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Think they would object to “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn”?
Emrysmyrddin
20 March 2013 at 12:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Otrame, I thought glossalalia was pretty common with the US Christian lot… /snark
numenaster
20 March 2013 at 12:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
91% no, 9% yes. You’re welcome.
eoleen
20 March 2013 at 1:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I just voted. The count now stands at…. 9% Yes, 91% No..
They’ve been PHARYNGULATED!!!!!
michaelbusch
20 March 2013 at 2:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@anuran @16:
Or if you want to go with Buddhism:
Buddham saranam gacchāmi
Dhammam saranam gacchāmi
Sangham saranam gacchāmi
-
@otrame @19:
No summoning Great Old Ones at council meetings. Everybody being reduced to only being capable of nonverbal twitching would further inhibit taking care of business.
pianoman, Heathen & Torontophile
20 March 2013 at 2:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
currently at 92%-No, 8%-Yes
pianoman, Heathen & Torontophile
20 March 2013 at 2:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
oh, and may the Fonz be with you! Ayyyyyyyyyyy!
Ulysses
20 March 2013 at 2:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
peterh
20 March 2013 at 2:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
“But . . . but . . . .but . . . everyone else is doing it!” That’s the juvenile comeback every parent of a teenager has heard a thousand times. Just does not cut it. 92% & climbing.
Lofty
20 March 2013 at 4:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Vote yes, vote no, what to do? I’ll think I’ll let a 2000 year dead non-existent superhero guide my finger.
No.
92%
loopyj
20 March 2013 at 6:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@12 – Exactly. And if the pastor from the Church of Satan isn’t available, I’m sure these inclusive, non-denominational and ecumenically-minded Christians would have no problem having an Imam lead the ‘generic prayer’.
rrede
20 March 2013 at 6:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
93% no, 7% yes.
Rowlett is just down the road a ways from where we live and work.
When we came to the little rural university, it was typical to start everything with prayers.
Faculty protest has mostly shut that down at at the major events in terms of administrators doing it, or bringing in ministers, but there is still spontaneous outbreak of prayer from commencement speakers *sigh*
Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net
20 March 2013 at 7:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
210 to 2825.
Looks like another one bit the dust.
chigau (違う)
21 March 2013 at 12:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
310 to 3320
are they asleep?
Why is the poll still alive?
harbo
21 March 2013 at 12:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I wish all voting could involve such pleasure.
Samantha Vimes
21 March 2013 at 4:32 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hastur! Hastur! Hastur!
thumper1990
21 March 2013 at 6:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It now stands at 8% Yes, 92% No, with 4000 votes.
Yes has gone up a percent! They’re making a comeback, people!