Christian Fanatics Protect Congress From Message Of Peace And Love

The U.S. Senate, in an effort to be more inclusive, recently invited Hindu clergyman Rajan Zed to offer the opening prayer at the chamber. One would think that seeing that this is the 21st century, this would be no big deal. Of course, one must remember that for the troglodytes that populate the ranks of the religious right in this country, the Salem witch trials are a recent and fond memory. Acting in that wonderful tradition of sectarian hatred, David Barton of the American Family Association urged his readers to contact their senators and ask them to cancel Zed’s invitation. He noted, "This is not a religion that has produced great things in the world". Apparently, he’s never seen a Bollywood musical. At any rate, the senate did not cancel the invitation, but our Christian brethren are known to be sore losers if for nothing else. Accordingly, three of them disrupted Zed’s prayer by yelling, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me!” and “This is an abomination!” The three were arrested and charged with misdemeanor crimes. According to the Congressional Record, the text of Zed’s prayer was as follows:

Let us pray. We meditate on the transcendental Glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.

Lead us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us.

May the Senators strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world, performing their duties with the welfare of others always in mind, because by devotion to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. May they work carefully and wisely, guided by compassion and without thought for themselves.

United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be as one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord.

Peace, peace, peace be unto all. Lord, we ask You to comfort the family of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Amen.

Wow. Pretty subversive, blasphemous stuff, eh? Given what was actually said, I would say that the word “abomination” could be used more appropriately to describe the actions of the protestors rather than the prayer.