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My Take on the Pa State House Invocation

Hello All,
  
  I'm sure that most if not all of you have read about or heard about the situation that occurred in the Pa State Legislature. I've refrained from comment so far so as it enables me to fully comprehend the intricate nature of this situation.
   My objection to the invocation is a legal one. Although I am of the opinion that the invocation shouldn't have happened in the first place, as it proselytized the Christian faith to those who may not share said religious convictions, or to those who hold no religious convictions at all. However, the invocation happened… so it goes. Alex Luchenitser, associate legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State said, “Opening prayers should be inclusive and respectful to the whole community, They should never be divisive. They should not proselytize. ” I agree with Mr. Luchenitser’s assessment of what an invocation should be, if it even happens.

Here are a few quotes supporting may position:
"A federal judge last year found that the House’s policy barring non theists from delivering the opening prayer was unconstitutional. U.S. Middle District Judge Christopher Conner ordered the House to allow non theists, who do not believe in a supreme deity, the opportunity to offer the opening invocation." “This is Exhibit A for why invocations at public events are unwise,” said Reginald T. Shuford, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. “Once you open that door, there is no way to define what is "appropriate" prayer to open a government proceeding and it is inevitable that some will use it as a platform for their own purposes.”

Shuford evoked a 1984 opinion by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who famously said that such invocations “sends a message to non adherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community.”  DeJesu, I. (2019.). Polarizing prayers in Pa. government: When do religious words cross the line?

As you can see all of the statements made above show that religion and government never mix favorably.

The worst part in this debacle that Borowicz referred to herself as “Jesus’s ‘ambassador,’ Borowicz declared that Jesus is the ‘King of kings and Lord of lords, the Great I Am,’ and the ‘One who is coming back again.’ In her prayer Borowicz asked God to forgive America for losing its spiritual bearings. ‘Jesus, we’ve lost sight of you,’Borowicz prayed, as Johnson-Harrell and the rest of her Democrat colleagues squirmed uneasily in their seats. ‘We’re asking you to forgive us.... Jesus, You are our only hope.’
Borowicz went on to pray for the state’s and nation’s leaders, and concluded her prayer ‘in the powerful, mighty Name of Jesus.’“ Borhan, D. (2019). Pennsylvania Lawmaker Blasted for Christian Prayer at Swearing-in of Muslim Colleague.


Now I hope that there is still sense in this distinguished state of Pennsylvania, and that Representative Borowicz is voted out in 2020.


Yours in Reality,

D

Moderate Conservative (Main Street Republican- the chill ones)
LGBT Ally (Because who you like or marry isn’t anyone’s business but yours)
Runner
Anti-theist Agnostic Atheist
Independent (Because Political Parties Suck)


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