Jewish lawmakers threaten walk-out over reference to Jesus

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | April 3, 2003 | Diana Lynne

[honway]

A Maryland minister was barred from giving the opening prayer in the state Senate after he refused to drop a reference to Jesus.

The Rev. David N. Hughes of the Trinity and Evangelical Church of Adamstown, Md., intended to round out his invocation yesterday with the line, "In Jesus' name, Amen." But the sergeant at arms – on the orders of Senate President Thomas Mike Miller Jr. – shut the reverend out of the body's chambers.

Miller issued the orders after two Jewish lawmakers threatened to stage a boycott of the legislative session if the phrase was not removed.

"I'm shocked by the response. I've never had this happen in 26 years," Hughes told the Frederick News-Post. "It just makes me feel that they've taken away my right as an American to pray, and this is the seat of government, and that's scary."

The pastor – a Vietnam veteran – was invited to give the prayer by Republican Sen. Alex Mooney. Hughes was Mooney's fourth guest. The other three were Jewish rabbis.

Opening up legislative sessions with prayer is a longstanding tradition in Maryland, as it is in states across the country. Mooney told WorldNetDaily no one had been barred from giving an invocation before. He sees irony in yesterday's "censorship."

Maryland state Republican Rep. Alex Mooney

"We were the first state to address religious tolerance in our state charter," he told WorldNetDaily. "This just shows a lack of tolerance for peoples' religious views."

Mooney recalled numerous instances of invocations referencing Jesus throughout the four years that he has been in office.

But at the beginning of the session this year, a string of invocations by Baptist preachers invoking the name Jesus Christ sparked debate on the issue. Miller appealed to lawmakers for tolerance and urged they stick to guidelines that call for invocations to be of an ecumenical nature and respectful of all faiths.

Webster's New World Dictionary defines ecumenical as "promoting cooperation or better understanding among differing religious faiths."

Since the debate, the Senate clerk screens prayers ahead of time and flagged the written text submitted by Hughes.

When Sens. Ida Ruben and Gloria Hollinger – both of whom are Jewish – heard of the reference, they asked Mooney to strike it.

"I said, 'Hey, I'll let him pray however he wants to pray. I'm not going to censor him and tell him how he needs to pray,'" Mooney told WND.

Ruben told the Frederick News-Post she then urged Hughes to substitute "messiah" for Jesus, telling him the reference could offend non-Christians and goes against the guidelines.

Neither Ruben nor Miller returned calls seeking comment.

"This is part of my faith," Hughes responded, according to Mooney. "The Gospel says when you pray, pray in Jesus' name."

The senators next asked to be excused from the floor during the prayer.

Paradoxically, a walk-out over a Muslim cleric's prayer opening a Washington state legislative session last month backfired on one Christian lawmaker.

Washington state Republican Rep. Lois McMahan

As WorldNetDaily reported, Rep. Lois McMahan, a Republican from Gig Harbor, Wash., refused to participate in the prayer and declared, "My god is not Muhammed."

"The Islamic religion is so ... part and parcel with the attack on America. I just didn't want to be there, be a part of that," she said in an interview with the Seattle Post Intelligencer. "Even though the mainstream Islamic religion doesn't profess to hate America, nonetheless it spawns the groups that hate America."

But a day later, McMahan apologized on the floor of the state House of Representatives amid mounting furor over her stance.

Debate over invocations is raging elsewhere in the country. As WorldNetDaily reported, several Southern California cities are grappling with threats from both sides of the issue.

Under pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union to quit using the name Jesus Christ in invocations, the city of Lake Elsinore, in Riverside County, decided to eliminate mention of "religious figures." The decree subsequently had the apparent effect of eliminating the prayer altogether, as no local pastors would accept invitations to deliver the prayer, and city councilors adopted moments of silence instead.

The ACLU contends that praying at the request of a government entity is a violation of the First Amendment's prohibition against the establishment of religion.

But the nonprofit United States Justice Foundation, which threatened to sue the city if it failed to reverse its decision, maintains telling a pastor what to pray is a violation of his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion.

The notion of "separation of church and state" is derived from the dissenting opinion of the 1946 Supreme Court case Everson vs. Board of Education, which upheld a program allowing parents to be repaid from state funds for the costs of transportation to private religious schools. The court required only that the state maintain neutrality in its relations with various groups of religious believers.

"The decision in Everson does not rise to the level of being a battle cry for those who would wish to remove every vestige of religion from the public forum," USJF litigation counsel Richard Ackerman asserts.

"There's a push in this country to remove religion from society," Mooney echoed, "from the Supreme Court's decision on the Pledge to the ACLU going after all the Ten Commandments posted across the country. ... Nothing in the church-state relationship allows censorship and the removal of religious values from society."

[Marysecretary]

What IS the world coming to (smile)?

[AlexW]

I read this post last night and was too disgusted to reply.

As I have mentioned in other postings, PC is going to destroy this country.
Every whinny little puke in this country has to complain about some stupid little offense. This includes many of those who posted here last night !!

When I was in public school, there were Christians and Jews.
I remember one home room, where the teacher had us read a bible passage each morning. The Jews read from the Old Testament, and the Christians usually read from the New.
No one complained. OK, that was 40 years ago, and I will concede that requiring to read from the bible is not now appropriate.
I have to question the true motive of any Jew that is "offended" at the word Jesus.
I have known many Jewish people in Memphis, and have found many to be among the nicest of my friends. They would NEVER carp about something this ridiculous.

Political Correctness is chipping away at everything that has made this country what it is.
How much more of this crap will we have to be subjected to?

[carton253]

Zionism-the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel.

Zionist - Someone who believes in Zionism.

Hope this helps.

[sauropod]

Unfortunately, it has to be said.

In Him, 'Pod

[DensaMensa]

}I have known many Jewish people ... They would NEVER carp about something this ridiculous.

Same thing here. It's divisive when people on the fringes actually step in and try to defend the perps.

[Illbay]

In context, it was wrong.

It is possible to give an "ecumenical prayer" which will be satisfactory to all concerned. I'm sure he knows this. Failure to do so is an unnecessary provocation on his part.

And it is one more brick in the wall toward the day when such prayers will not be allowed at all. I would rather have them, than nothing at all.

It's too bad that "compromise" isn't possible with some who think this way.

[Illbay]

What is the point of praying "in Jesus' name" when you are in such a setting? It makes no sense. It is needlessly provocative.

[Illbay]

Not everyone worships Gumby.

Nearly everyone worships "God," who is conceived in different ways by different religious faiths.

[wardaddy]

Well said. I respect and appreciate your views.

[DensaMensa]

From your tagline:(You are free to form your own opinions, but not your own facts.)

That's one of my favorites too. "You are entitled to you own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts."

[carton253]

I like to it...

Have a great day!

[Illbay]

I don't "slander Southern Heritage supporters," I dispute that there is any such thing that is distinct from anyone who is a "solid American."

I have pointed out, time after time, that there is no difference between what YOU purport to be "Southern Heritage" and the "heritage" of those who live, work, love and worship in the "Bush Red Zone."

You and your type will have none of it, because it IS a matter of religion to you. This Confederacy-that-never-was is a false god.

I dispute it.

[Illbay]

I've always wondered at this comment.

If the Jews are "chosen," then what is the point of being a Christian?

[graycamel]

Can't say Jesus, can't fly the flag, no yellow ribbons, ditch the SUV, illegals get drivers licenses, Saddam good - Bush bad.

Some schools dont even allow kids to keep score on ball games. The losers might feel bad.

[Illbay]

The minister believes in "God." That is to whom he was praying. It is right and proper not to pray to that God, in whom nearly all believe, in the name of Jesus Christ, in whom many (including I) believe, but not all.

It was just needlessly provocative, and the minister owes an apology.

[sauropod]

I will take your comment as rhetorical. You are too smart to be literally asking this question.

[Illbay]

Nearly all the time, when I pray, it is a silent prayer.

The minister could have given voice to those words that were appropriate, then SILENTLY added that the prayer was "in the name of Jesus Christ." God would know.

That would have been proper. Your way (and his, I suspect) is calculated to make a point, even offend, just to make that point. Foolish.

[sauropod]

No he doesn't. Which you would know if you knew anything at all about Maryland politics.

which you do not.

[Illbay]

I'm beginning to think so myself, sink.

How ludicrous that some think every such occasion is one to advance what is actually a POLITICAL agenda.

[so_real]

What is the point of praying "in Jesus' name" when you are in such a setting? It makes no sense. It is needlessly provocative.

From your words, I would say it is fairly obviously you are not a Christian. Who, then, are you to say how a Christian should pray and how a Christian should not pray in any setting? We, Christians, take our cue from Christ who taught us how to pray. Please don't be offended that we defer to His will and not yours in this matter (and that applies to the senators as well). If you want to argue with Jesus that the way He has instructed us to pray is "needlessly provocative", then please do so - Jesus does hear and answer prayer.