This past week many Christians
celebrated the court ruling allowing for prayer to be said at the opening of
government meetings, such as a town counsel meeting. The justices spoke to how
this is a practice even seen in our congress today. (For more information see ruling details
here). Again this was celebrated by many Christians as the news moved
through Facebook like a storm. As I read the news, the celebrations, and posts,
I found myself wondering if I wanted to celebrate. Or maybe it might be better
said; I found myself wondering what they were celebrating.
I often
hear many declaring how this country was founded and first established under
the value of religious freedom. Something I agree with. Yet they also say the
country was rooted in and many of its values found in Christianity as seen by
our laws and quotes from many of the for-fathers. A statement I kind of a agree
with, kind of.
So now
people have the right to prayer before a government meetings. So, do my
Christian friends support anyone’s rights to pray before a meeting? What if
Monday was Christian protestant prayer, Tuesday was a catholic prayer,
Wednesday was a Muslim prayer, Thursday was a Hindu prayer, and Friday was a
Wicca prayer? Would you still be celebrating? These named faiths are all religions
that are represented by the people of the United State of America. These are
their religions and they live in a nation founded on religious freedom.
Many have
attacked the group that brought the lawsuit; wondering what it matters if a
prayer is offered if you do not believe in it? So then what will your reaction,
as a believer, be if a prayer is offered by a faith you do not believe in? How
will you respond? Even if you don’t believe in that faith, or believe it is a
false religion, would you still celebrate the religions freedom to practice
that faith? Are you ok if they also pray publically to open a government meeting,
even if they are not Christian? Because it’s going to happen. In fact is has
happened and look how the “Christians” handled it...
Now what I want to know is what are you celebrating? As I study
the Bible and look at the writings of the Apostle Paul and of Jesus I wonder;
would the Apostle Paul be celebrating? Would the Apostle Paul care? What would
he do if he where in a government meeting? Would he respond the way the Christians
did? Would Jesus respond that way?
This whole situation got me thinking. I admit I have many
thoughts and I am not sure how to get them out there. Honestly I hesitate
writing this out of some fear of how people will perceive me and think about
me. But what I do know is that I am not celebrating right now. In fact I am
sad…
I find myself wondering: What did Jesus win because of this
ruling? What is now better off in the Kingdom of God because of this ruling?
Will more be saved because of this? Will more people see the Gospel lived out?
After watching the Youtube video I seem to think they wont…
