Fox News: American Atheists File Lawsuit Over Prayer Day
0 (0 Likes / 0 Dislikes)
Prayer is comming under fire
after potential presidential
Texas governor Rick Perry released a video
inviting people to a prayer event
As an elected leader
I'am all too aware of government's limitations
When it comes to fixing things
That are spiritual in nature
That's where prayer comes in
And we need more than never
And even though thousands are planning, various atheist groups joined forces
with the freedom from religion foundation to sue governor perry, lets hear from both sides of this
controversial issue, David Silverman, the president of american atheists group
is leading a protest at the day of prayer
And Hiram Sasser Sasser
is the legal councel for the american family association group
That is organizing the event in Texas
Thank you guys for joining me this morning
Thanks for having me
Hiram I want to start with you
This event is not really that unusual in american grand scheme of things
American political leaders have held prayer events in the past
they've publicly prayed right?
Yeah and people pray all the time
every president...
All the way through except for one is always issued prayer proclamations
including such notables as president Truman when he said it was only because of god
That we won WWII and he actually said that in the surrender document
That he signed from germany
in addition you have president Carter quoting scripture
And every other president issuing this types of proclamations
So this is something that is historically common
And probably one of the most american things that we do
Well the August 6 prayer rally has been organized to be held at
Reliant Stadium in Houston is expected to bring thousands of people there
David what is the problem here with governor Perry doing this?
Actually it is going to bring tens of thousands of people and ten or hundreds of millions of dollars
into the church and it is all because governor perry is publicizing this event
from his office via his website and the reason that he is doing this
because he's got no plan, no real plan to rescue the state
So he is using his cristianity as a smoke screen to distract everybody away from the fact
that he has no idea of how to fix the texas' problem
So you can't conceive the possibly that this is genuine attempt to reach out to god
to help solve america's problems?
No this is a political attempt to cover his incopetent butt
and while we are telling people why we are protesting is that
We are urging cristians to come out and pick it on our side for this event...
--But what is the problem with inviting people to this event, people are being invited
they are not being forced to come, there is freedom of religion, there is freedom of speech in america
Right, and governor Perry has all the rights to pray that he wants
but he doesn't have the right to use his office to push a multi million dollar
prayer event for a specific church
--Hiram what is your reaction to this?
Well lets look at the national day of prayer, you have congress passes a specific
statued US law that declares a national day of prayer back in 1952
you have every president using all their white house resources
to have national day of prayer events to promote the national day of prayer
including president Obama continuing that tradition by using his government website
there is nothing that governor Perry is doing that is any different than what president Obama is doing
and furthermore, one of the things that I don't understand is
why when an event is popular somehow that is such a bad thing
I think it is great to folks could come together and exercise their first amendment rights
of freedom of religion and freedom of speech
But this is not freedom of religion or freedom of speech
this is a politician using cristianity to cover his own incopetence
and we are asking the texas cristians to see through this smoke screen
governor Perry has no clue, he's got no idea, he's got no plan
so he is saying "oh don't fire me, don't hate me, I'm christian"
He is using the church--- "Perry doesn't need this event"
Yes he does! Texas is last in education in SATs course, it is in a budget crisis
"It is one of the most highest performed..."
Guys It's a very strong feelings on this but how wrap up the discussion once again
The event, this prayer event, august 6 on Reliant Stadium in Houston
There will be a protest outside, as we mention we will be talking about the law sue
that governor Perry is facing, thank you gentlemen for joining us this mortning
Thank you very much for having us on atheists.org