Bill Sali Denounces Hindu Prayer

What a huge asset for the public to have actual journalists blogging.  Check out what Idaho Congressman Bill Sali said after a Hindu prayer was offered in the U.S. Senate on July 12th as reported by Randy Stapilus at Ridenbaugh Press.

That event marked the first time a person of that faith had delivered the prayer, and that expression of religion was met with sounds of protest in the gallery - three people who shouted “No Lord but Jesus Christ,” “There’s only one true God,” and called the prayer an “abomination.”

Sali did not issue a press release on the matter. But he did have this to say to the American Family News Network:

Although the event generated little outrage on Capitol Hill, Representative Bill Sali (R-Idaho) is one member of Congress who believes the prayer should have never been allowed.

The quote from American Family News Network continues with Sali stating that this was not what the Founding Fathers envisioned and that

when a Hindu prayer is offered, "that’s a different god” and that it “creates problems for the longevity of this country.”

Stapilus then goes on to say that Sali spokesman Wayne Hoffman has essentially confirmed that the account is accurate.

Okay, first of all, go read the entire Stapilus post.  Then, let's discuss what it means for a U.S. Congressman to blatantly denounce religious liberty while invoking the Founding Fathers.  Or heck, pick any of the other obvious problems with Sali's statement...floor's open.

Update 08.09.07 23:45:  As noted in the comments, Randy Stapilus has updated his post to include additional comments from Wayne Hoffman.

Update 08.10.07 17:45:  Not surprisingly this topic has stirred up a flurry of debate.

Local print and newsy blogs:

• The Idaho Statesman
• Boise Weekly
• Idaho Press-Tribune
• Eye on Boise
• Huckleberries Online

Local blogs (if I missed anyone, let me know):

• Red State Rebels
• IdaBlue
• 43rd State Blues
• The Stupid Shall Be Punished - Includes an exclusive on Sali and Mormonism.

A few national blogs (there's a bunch out there):

• Think Progress
• Pharyngula
• Daily Kos
• The Carpetbagger Report

Sali supporters:

• Bill Sali Fan
• Idaho Values Alliance

Comments

[Tara Rowe]

The whole thing is unbelievable, but what really blew me away was the way he dismissed Representative Ellison. Attacking an entire religion is one thing, attacking one of your own for his religion. Wow. That's all I can say about Sali right now. Wow.

[Bubblehead]

I noticed Hoffman was backpedaling in comments he made in response to Randy's first post. Still, I think this opens the door to make Rep. Sali finally answer the question I've been asking him for some time -- does he believe Mormons are Christians? I think there are quite a few of his constituents who would be interested in his answer to that one. (I first asked him that question here: http://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-questions-for-mr-sali.html )

And regarding Rep. Ellison, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Rep. Sali is one of those who believes that Muslims have a different God than Christians or Jews.

[MountainGoat]

To insinuate that any religion's prayer is dangerous to the country is so antithetical to what the Founding Fathers envisioned...I'm not sure where to begin.

I guess I could start with Thomas Paine in Common Sense:

"For myself, I fully and conscientiously believe that it is the will of the Almighty that there should be a diversity of religious opinions among us."

Thomas Jefferson from The Statute for Religious Freedom:

"[T]he impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible...."

Jefferson from Notes on Religion:

"But if we choose for ourselves, we must allow others to choose also, and so reciprocally, this establishes religious liberty."

And so on....

[Sisyphus]

And how about Hoffman's glib response of not making too much of it. Speaking of sanctimonious and condescending, Bryan Fisher wieghs in: http://www.idahovaluesalliance.com/news.asp?id=584

He belittles Hinduism when he states: "Hindus believe in a virtually infinite number of gods and worship cows, monkeys and snakes..." Well Bryan I guess that compares poorly against a religion that drinks blood and tastes of human flesh at their ceremonies every week. His ignorance is only overcome by his lack of tolerance.

Then he warns against trusting Muslims with the oxymoronic statement that the one true God from the old and new testaments was the font of all our liberties in the bill of rights. Where to start? That God is in some serious need of lithium because for the life of me I can't fathom the unity of the angry spiteful God of the old testament with the tolerant God of forgiveness in the new testament. And last I checked Muslims recognized the holiness of these books as the word of God. The same God. Muslims don't believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ but then neither did the Deists like Thomas Jefferson.

I truly wish that Mr. Fisher would spend more time in self reflection studying the lessons of tolerance and forgiveness in the new testament and less time foisting his arrogance and hubris in the public sector to defeat the very religious liberty he claims we received from divine intervention. The declaration says that "all men were created equal" not just Christian men.