Friday, January 9, 2009

Another Example of Religious Intolerance

Below is an article I read on 1/8/09:

Michael A. Newdow, who attempted to have the words “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, has again filed a lawsuit in an attempt to keep religion out of the presidential inauguration. Newdow brought similar suits four and eight years ago.

He and other groups, such as the American Humanist Association and the Freedom from Religion Foundation who have joined him in the lawsuit, are requesting that the words “so help me God” be removed from the president’s oath of office and that the prayers of invocation and benediction be eliminated from the ceremony, as well. The lawsuit argues that the prayers and religious references “are completely exclusionary, showing absolute disrespect to Plaintiffs and others of similar religious views, who explicitly reject the purely religious claims that will be endorsed, i.e., (a) there exists a God, and (b) the United States government should pay homage to that God.” A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments on Jan. 15.

Rev. Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist, has been asked to lead the invocation and Rev. Joseph Lowery, a United Methodist, is scheduled to deliver the benediction. (from The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing email newsletter, 1/8/09. Copyright © 2009, Focus on the Family. All rights reserved)

Here is another case in which a small minority is trying to dictate what others can and can’t do. President-Elect Obama is a Christian, so he is willingly swearing on a Bible and saying “so help me God.” Nobody is forcing him to do so. The United States is not “paying homage to that God” but acknowledging that “that God” is important to many people. For Newdow et al. to try to make such changes to the way we do things infringes on the rights of others and is the height of intolerance, religious bigotry, and arrogance. Let’s hope this lawsuit is tossed out of court for being frivolous.

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