Hindu Prayer interupted in US Senate
Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 10:38 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XiizB9Lkqk&feature=youtu.be
The video above is one that shows a Hindu priest opening the US senate meeting for the day with a prayer. The prayer was actually written and said in a way that would be appropriate to many faiths including Christianity:
The prayer goes (since its hard to hear in the video over the protests):
Zed, the first Hindu to offer the Senate prayer, began: "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."
As the Senate prepared for another day of debate over the Iraq war, Zed closed with, "Peace, peace, peace be unto all."
NBC new source
The new article goes on to give a few points of view on the prayer and situation from a Christian (Mormon) to the executive director for the seperation of Church and state.
Zed, who was born in India, was invited by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Speaking in the chamber shortly after the prayer, Reid defended the choice and linked it to the war debate.
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"If people have any misunderstanding about Indians and Hindus," Reid said, "all they have to do is think of Gandhi," a man "who gave his life for peace."
"I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly Father regarding peace," said Reid, a Mormon and sharp critic of President Bush's Iraq policies.
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest "shows the intolerance of many religious right activists. They say they want more religion in the public square, but it's clear they mean only their religion."Source continued
I was thrilled that a non christian was invited to deliver the prayer, not so thrilled that members of the US Senate would interrupt the prayer to start their own prayer over it and to interrupt the prayer in general. Its very disrespectful.
Edit: Apparently this was the second time that a Hindu priest has offered a prayer over Congress. The first time was in 2000. And the responses were along the same lines.
Thoughts?
The video above is one that shows a Hindu priest opening the US senate meeting for the day with a prayer. The prayer was actually written and said in a way that would be appropriate to many faiths including Christianity:
The prayer goes (since its hard to hear in the video over the protests):
Zed, the first Hindu to offer the Senate prayer, began: "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."
As the Senate prepared for another day of debate over the Iraq war, Zed closed with, "Peace, peace, peace be unto all."
NBC new source
The new article goes on to give a few points of view on the prayer and situation from a Christian (Mormon) to the executive director for the seperation of Church and state.
Zed, who was born in India, was invited by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Speaking in the chamber shortly after the prayer, Reid defended the choice and linked it to the war debate.
Advertise
"If people have any misunderstanding about Indians and Hindus," Reid said, "all they have to do is think of Gandhi," a man "who gave his life for peace."
"I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly Father regarding peace," said Reid, a Mormon and sharp critic of President Bush's Iraq policies.
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest "shows the intolerance of many religious right activists. They say they want more religion in the public square, but it's clear they mean only their religion."Source continued
I was thrilled that a non christian was invited to deliver the prayer, not so thrilled that members of the US Senate would interrupt the prayer to start their own prayer over it and to interrupt the prayer in general. Its very disrespectful.
Edit: Apparently this was the second time that a Hindu priest has offered a prayer over Congress. The first time was in 2000. And the responses were along the same lines.
Thoughts?