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Rep. Emanuel Cleaver says his 'awoman' ending of the opening prayer in Congress was just a 'light-hearted pun'
Christian Post ^ | 01/07/2021 | Samuel Smith

Posted on 01/07/2021 7:47:48 AM PST by SeekAndFind

The Democratic congressman who opened up the 117th Congress with a prayer that ended in “amen and awoman” has since said that awoman was meant to be a “light-hearted pun” rather than an ecclesiastical statement.

After Sunday’s “awoman” prayer provoked condemnation from many conservatives and Christians on social media, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., responded to critics by releasing a statement condemning those who he said “misinterpreted and misconstrued” his prayer.

“I am deeply disappointed that my prayer has been misinterpreted and misconstrued by some to fit a narrative that stokes resentment and greater division among portions of our population,” the 76-year-old lawmaker said in a statement shared with The Kansas City Star on Monday.

“I believe prayers to be a personal conversation between El Shaddai and the invocator. With this conversation, in the presence of the 117th House of Representatives, I concluded with a light-hearted pun in recognition of the record number of women who will be representing the American people in Congress during this term as well as in recognition of the first female Chaplain of the House of Representatives whose service commenced this week.”

Cleaver, the former mayor of Kansas City who for decades served as pastor of Kansas City’s St. James United Methodist Church, continued by saying that he finds these “historic occasions to be blessings from God for which I am grateful.”

“Rather than reflecting on my faithful requests for community healing and reversion from our increasingly tribal tendencies, it appears that some have latched on to the final word of this conversation in an attempt to twist my message to God and demean me personally,” Cleaver said. “In doing so, they have proven one point of my greater message — that we are all ‘soiled by selfishness, perverted by prejudice and inveigled by ideology.’”

Among those who were critical of Cleaver’s awoman comment include Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who joked in a tweet: “Don’t they know that gender isn’t binary??? What about the other 42 genders??"

Many commenters online, including incoming Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., noted that the word amen is not a gendered term.

"I guess the virtue signaling Democrats didn’t check the Hebrew etymology of the word ‘Amen’ to realize it has NOTHING to do with gender,” Boebert tweeted. “But don’t let facts get in the way of a good virtue signal. Also, didn’t those words just get banned?"

Boebert's reference was to the introduced code of conduct for the 117th Congress, which includes changing gender-specific terms and pronouns in the House rules to be gender-neutral to "honor all gender identities.”

On Monday, former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a 2020 presidential candidate, blasted the gender-neutral language in the new House rules during an interview with Fox News.

"It's the height of hypocrisy for people who claim to be the champions of rights for women to deny the very biological existence of women," Gabbard said. "Their first act as this new Congress could have been to make sure elderly Americans are able to get the COVID vaccine now alongside front-line healthcare workers. Instead of doing something that could actually help save people's lives, they are choosing instead to say, 'You can't say, mother or father.'"

Although Cleaver issued his response to the criticisms of his prayer on Monday, he is still being criticized.

On Wednesday, an op-ed by Katrina Trinko, editor-in-chief at the conservative Daily Signal, was published in USA Today.

“Yet with Cleaver’s wordplay coming amid a House Democrat push to eliminate gendered terms like mother and father from chamber rules in the interest of equality, it’s hard not to see the vocabulary choice as somewhat pointed,” Trinko wrote. “Furthermore, the Missouri Democrat could have offered gratitude for the new women in his words without jarringly twisting a prayer ending into a pun.”

“But even taking Cleaver at his word, his actions still come at a time of a troubling attitude among our political elites toward religion,” she continued. “Too often our modern world sees religion as needing to conform to us, rather than for us to conform to religion.”

Trinko argues that Cleaver is “hardly the only example of this kind of thinking.”

“Just last month, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam told residents they shouldn’t want to celebrate the birth of Christ in a church. ‘For me, God is wherever you are,’ the Democrat said. ‘You don’t have to sit in the church pew for God to hear your prayers,’” Trinko recalled.

“Can we imagine lawmakers doing this for a non-Western faith or cultural tradition? Would a lawmaker say he believes Mecca is wherever you want it to be, right there in your heart? Would a politician decree she thinks the Chinese New Year could just as well be celebrated in July?”

While Cleaver contends that his prayer included “faithful requests for community healing and reversion from our increasingly tribal tendencies,” Trinko argues that “healing and reversion from tribalism depend on mutual respect, not flippant approaches to faith.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: awoman; brahmaisnotjehovah; emanuelcleaver; prayer; pun
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1 posted on 01/07/2021 7:47:48 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Last time I’ll post this...in fact... abdomen shall now be abdowomen … abutment shall now be abutwoment … accompaniment shall now be accompaniwoment … admen shall now be adwomen … aments shall now be awoments … amusement shall now be amusewoment … argumenta shall now be arguwomenta … argumentum shall now be arguwomentum … assessment shall now be assesswoment … assortment shall now be assortwoment … beleaguerments shall now be beleaguerwoments … bitumen shall now be bituwomen … cerumen shall now be ceruwomen … clemency shall now be clewomency … commensal shall now be comwomensal … commentator shall now be comwomentator … complement shall now be complewoment … complementary shall now be complewomentary … compliment shall now be compliwoment … condiment shall now be condiwoment … cyclamen shall now be cyclawomen … debasements shall now be debasewoments … debatements shall now be debatewoments … decrement shall now be decrewoment … deferment shall now be deferwoment … deforcement shall now be deforcewoment … demented shall now be dewomented … dementia shall now be dewomentia … detainments shall now be detainwoments … disbandment shall now be disbandwoment … divertimento shall now be divertiwomento … divertissements shall now be divertissewoments … duramen shall now be durawomen … enlargement shall now be enlargewoment … enrichment shall now be enrichwoment … ferment shall now be ferwoment … fragmentary shall now be fragwomentary … fundamentalist shall now be fundawomentalist … garnishment shall now be garnishwoment … handicraftsmen shall now be handicraftswomen … hyperexcitement shall now be hyperexcitewoment … hyperpigmented shall now be hyperpigwomented … immensurable shall now be imwomensurable … impoverishments shall now be impoverishwoments … inclemencies shall now be inclewomencies … inclement shall now be inclewoment … indictment shall now be indictwoment … infringement shall now be infringewoment … instrumented shall now be instruwomented … integument shall now be integuwoment … intersegment shall now be intersegwoment … intersegmental shall now be intersegwomental … intertwinement shall now be intertwinewoment … involvements shall now be involvewoments … judgement shall now be judgewoment … lomenta shall now be lowomenta … maladjustments shall now be maladjustwoments … measurements shall now be measurewoments … menadione shall now be womenadione … menagerie shall now be womenagerie … menarche shall now be womenarche … mends shall now be womends … meningeal shall now be womeningeal … meno shall now be womeno … mensh shall now be womensh … mention shall now be womention … mermen shall now be merwomen … merriment shall now be merriwoment … misjudgments shall now be misjudgwoments … misstatements shall now be misstatewoments … momentariness shall now be mowomentariness … momently shall now be mowomently … momentous shall now be mowomentous … monumentally shall now be monuwomentally … muniment shall now be muniwoment … myofilaments shall now be myofilawoments … nomen shall now be nowomen … nomenclatures shall now be nowomenclatures … noncommitment shall now be noncommitwoment … nonelementary shall now be nonelewomentary … nonexperimental shall now be nonexperiwomental … ornamentation shall now be ornawomentation … ornamentations shall now be ornawomentations … overdevelopment shall now be overdevelopwoment … overornamenting shall now be overornawomenting … overrefinement shall now be overrefinewoment … overtreatment shall now be overtreatwoment … parchment shall now be parchwoment … passementeries shall now be passewomenteries … phillumenists shall now be philluwomenists … prearrangements shall now be prearrangewoments … preordainments shall now be preordainwoments … preretirement shall now be preretirewoment … prolegomenon shall now be prolegowomenon … pronunciamento shall now be pronunciawomento … punishment shall now be punishwoment … refreshment shall now be refreshwoment … regimens shall now be regiwomens … regimentals shall now be regiwomentals … remend shall now be rewomend … requirement shall now be requirewoment … sacrament shall now be sacrawoment … sentimental shall now be sentiwomental … specimen shall now be speciwomen … strewments shall now be strewwoments … swingmen shall now be swingwomen … tegmenta shall now be tegwomenta … trackmen shall now be trackwomen … truckmen shall now be truckwomen … unamended shall now be unawomended … undergarment shall now be undergarwoment … unidimensional shall now be unidiwomensional … unmentionable shall now be unwomentionable … unsentimental shall now be unsentiwomental … vehemences shall now be vehewomences … velamen shall now be velawomen … versemen shall now be versewomen … yamen shall now be yawomen …


2 posted on 01/07/2021 7:50:59 AM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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To: DoodleBob

Grade “A”Bull $hit


3 posted on 01/07/2021 7:52:20 AM PST by antidemoncrat
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To: SeekAndFind

More concerning was to whom or what he was praying. When it’s difficult to tell, it’s usually Satan, not that Rep. Cleaver is smart enough to know that.


4 posted on 01/07/2021 7:53:20 AM PST by cdcdawg (Maybe people are legitimately pissed off, they’re sick of all of this, and they don’t care anymore.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The low IQ spittles an excuse. He is what the Nasty Pelosi House deserves.


5 posted on 01/07/2021 7:54:06 AM PST by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: DoodleBob

And now for a hearty lunch a Rawomen Noodles. It’s especially good if you break an unfertilized reproductive product of a chicken into it while it is still hot.


6 posted on 01/07/2021 7:55:34 AM PST by left that other site (If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. (Isaiah 7:9))
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To: cdcdawg

OK, but this is no issue to be “lighthearted” about.


7 posted on 01/07/2021 7:56:04 AM PST by Socon-Econ (adical Islam, )
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To: SeekAndFind

Was the Christian pastor addressing the prayer to the monotheistic Hindu god just a lighthearted pun?

This guy is a professed Christian and he prayed to a Hindu god on the House floor.

“We ask this in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and God known by many names and faiths.”

Elohim will not be mocked and he doesnt like playing second fiddle to anyone.


8 posted on 01/07/2021 7:57:29 AM PST by Delta 21 (Get off your ass and earn it!)
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To: SeekAndFind

https://thefederalist.com/2021/01/06/why-amen-and-a-woman-is-far-worse-than-it-might-seem/


9 posted on 01/07/2021 7:58:14 AM PST by Delta 21 (Get off your ass and earn it!)
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s how Dems operate. Say something stupid, vile, insulting, and when there is blowback, say: It was a joke!

The media is then happy, the public goes back to their phones, and nothing more is said.


10 posted on 01/07/2021 7:58:18 AM PST by brownsfan (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.)
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To: antidemoncrat

Sheer stupidity. That’s all


11 posted on 01/07/2021 7:58:22 AM PST by albie
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To: SeekAndFind

I think the pastor finally figured out he is the laughingstock ignorant idiot of the week and trying to cover his butt.


12 posted on 01/07/2021 8:02:26 AM PST by NWFree
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To: antidemoncrat
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver says his 'awoman' ending of the opening prayer in Congress was just a 'light-hearted pun'

Then he and Satan laughted.....

13 posted on 01/07/2021 8:11:19 AM PST by dragonblustar ( Fight the China take over!!!!!)
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To: SeekAndFind

If you follow Amen with A-woman, you are A-moron.


14 posted on 01/07/2021 8:11:53 AM PST by Jemian (If it weren’t for double standards, the libs would have no standards at all.)
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To: brownsfan

It’s how Dems operate. Say something stupid, vile, insulting, and when there is blowback, say: It was a joke!

.....................................................

Hank Johnson saying he thought Guam might tip over was no joke.

Kudos to the Admiral he was talking to, for not laughing in his face or calling him the dumass he is.


15 posted on 01/07/2021 8:15:42 AM PST by Graybeard58 (The China virus doesn't scare me, Venezuelaism does.)
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To: SeekAndFind

In Hebrew, “Amen” (from Aman - [aw-man’, to confirm, support] ) means “verily, truly”, and is pronounced aw-mane’. Aman is a verb, where Amen is an adverb.

What this man did I would look upon as adding to / changing the Holy Spirit-inspired Word of God, daring to twist it. It’s not unlike those that refuse to teach the entire of The Holy Bible, or intentionally twist, misrepresent or misinterpret Scripture, which is a cult. Occult. Satanic.


16 posted on 01/07/2021 8:16:38 AM PST by Patriot777 ("When you see these things begin to happen, look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.")
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To: DoodleBob; All

You forgot Ramen noodles to be Rawomen noodles!


17 posted on 01/07/2021 8:21:22 AM PST by ProudVet97 (E)
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To: Socon-Econ

I agree. I actually don’t think he was intentionally doing anything mendacious, I think he’s probably just an idiot. Now, the person or people who coached him to do it ... that’s another story.


18 posted on 01/07/2021 8:26:00 AM PST by cdcdawg (Maybe people are legitimately pissed off, they’re sick of all of this, and they don’t care anymore.)
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To: SeekAndFind

It does not matter to me what he says. It is a sad point in the History of America when America is led by She males and emasculated males. Sad!


19 posted on 01/07/2021 8:26:04 AM PST by sport
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To: Patriot777

RE: In Hebrew, “Amen” (from Aman - [aw-man’, to confirm, support] ) means “verily, truly”, and is pronounced aw-mane’. Aman is a verb, where Amen is an adverb.

I believe that Rep. Cleaver, being a Pastor, knows about everything you said. He’s just trying to be as woke and slick as he can be, God’s word is only something to be used when convenient.


20 posted on 01/07/2021 8:26:31 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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