Prayers sponsored by governments or schools UNDERMINE authentic religion!

Many conservative persons, religious advocates, government officials (including some in charge of public schools, as well as local, state and federal governments) want prayers at local government or legislative meetings – or in public schools.  ACTUALLY, THESE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED PRAYERS UNDERMINE authentic religion.

Prayer should be a personal communication with God, but making it mandatory or obligatory – or a mindless public ritual – destroys the personal faith aspect and makes it a meaningless governmental routine. It’s ironic that conservatives who oppose “big government” want government to cram someone’s religion down everyone else’s throats. Instead of protecting liberty, they are taking away our liberty to choose any religion or none at all.

Prayer should have spiritual value. But imposing prayer upon people in schools or at governmental meetings destroys prayer’s spiritual value and makes it just an oppressive governmental regulation.

If someone wanted to destroy authentic religion, a good way for them to do that would be to make the government impose it upon us.

Jesus also told people NOT to conspicuously pray in public.  He said that is self-seeking rather than honest connection with God.  (Matthew 6:5-8)

About GlenAnderson 1499 Articles
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org