Back on April 24th I wrote about how the separation of church and state is missing from my local county Legislature. They put video and auto from the legislature meetings online. That meeting from the 23rd is up and available with audio only. I clipped the baptist minister so you didn't have to listen to the role call and pledge.

The beginning of the prayer is reasonable. He blesses the legislature and its highest members. After that he touches on many issues. He leads the legislature in a prayer to provide affordable housing to seniors and working poor, so they can stay in the county and don't have to move. He leads them in prayer to provide tax relief, instead of tax increases. And my favorite part I will quote.

As the guy (god?) that provides, you know how faith based initiates must be formed and supported, joining hand in hand with our governmental agencies. May we be freed of the myth of some concocted self serving imaginary separation of the two, but instead return to our nations forming years, when they each embraced the other for the betterment of all people, both rich and poor alike.

It always amazes me how so many people in this country can be manipulated into believing that this nation was founded on religious ideas, and with Christianity in mind. They forget that 200+ years before this was a country, Puritans left Europe because their governments embraced one religion to the exclusion of others. They also forget the first words to the Bill of Rights, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion... Both the original immigration and the founding of this nation, were based on the desire to ensure that the government had no investment in any religion. That was the actual intent during our nation's forming years.

County Legislature, bowed in prayer

Some times I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks there should be complete and absolute separation of religion and government. Yesterday I sat in on part of a County Legislature meeting. First they said the pledge. Then somebody sang the national anthem. Third a priest lead everybody in a prayer. I won't get into details because I don't have a transcript, but it was praying for outcomes to legislature decisions I assume were coming up.

This image really bothers me. Religion across the board, seams so incredibly irrational, and the logic so clearly faulty to me, I can't conceive of how others believe. It throws away the concept of thought. Organized religion tells people don't try to question, don't try to understand why, just take our word for it. I can't do that. I question everything and everyone. And I would expect our leaders do the same.