[Vision2020] Sali Defends Stance on Prayer

[deb]

Bravo. If we really separate church and state, what's up with the 
invocation? And it's a little disturbing that our officials feel a need to 
pray they made good decisions....
Debi R-S


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Rumelhart" <godshatter at yahoo.com>
To: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
Cc: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 6:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Sali Defends Stance on Prayer


> How about we just do away with the invocation completely?  You can pray
> to whatever God or gods you believe in on your own time and on your own
> dime.
>
> Paul
>
> Tom Hansen wrote:
>> >From Representative Bill Sali:
>>
>> "I believe the invocation in Congress is an important matter and that we
>> ought to reach out to the God of the Bible, because it is He who 
>> continues
>> to allow this country to prosper and He is responsible for the country's
>> longevity."
>>
>> >From Article VI of the US Constitution:
>>
>> "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any 
>> office
>> or public trust under the United States."
>>
>> >From today's (August 14, 2007) Spokesman Review -
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Sali defends stance on prayer
>> He reiterates religious freedom belief, says he's victim of 'spin' 
>> campaign
>>
>> Betsy Z. Russell
>> Staff writer
>> August 14, 2007
>>
>> BOISE - Idaho Congressman Bill Sali said Monday he believes in religious
>> freedom but still doesn't want a Hindu prayer opening a session of 
>> Congress.
>>
>> "I believe the invocation in Congress is an important matter and that we
>> ought to reach out to the God of the Bible, because it is He who 
>> continues
>> to allow this country to prosper and He is responsible for the country's
>> longevity," Sali said in an e-mail to The Spokesman-Review.
>>
>> In an earlier interview, he said a Hindu prayer is to "a different god."
>>
>> Sali, a freshman Republican, also said he's the victim of a 
>> "well-organized
>> campaign at the national level" to portray him as an opponent of 
>> religious
>> freedom. The controversy stems from an interview he gave to a Christian 
>> news
>> outlet, American Family News Network, which then published an online 
>> article
>> saying Sali was one member of Congress who was "disturbed" by a Muslim
>> serving in Congress and by a Hindu prayer recently opening a 
>> congressional
>> session.
>>
>> Sali's press secretary, Wayne Hoffman, said Sali was "making a historical
>> observation, nothing more," when he cited those two items to the network 
>> and
>> said, "Those are changes, and they are not what was envisioned by the
>> Founding Fathers."
>>
>> Sali said Monday that there's a national effort on to "spin this whole 
>> thing
>> in a way that is deceptive."
>>
>> "I believe strongly in freedom of religion," he said. "I have nothing but
>> respect for the right for all people to worship in a way of their 
>> choosing.
>> I believe that people of any congressional district have the right to 
>> elect
>> anyone to Congress that they deem fit, and it is clear that diversity in
>> Congress will occur because of that."
>>
>> The U.S. Constitution states in Article 6: "No religious test shall ever 
>> be
>> required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the 
>> United
>> States."
>>
>> But Sali added, "I am a Christian and I believe that this nation was 
>> founded
>> on Christian principles, and that it is important to embrace those
>> principles that have given this country the many blessings it enjoys 
>> today.
>> I believe it is important to reach out to the hand of God for guidance 
>> and
>> His protective hand and continued blessings upon our country."
>>
>> Hoffman said, "It's not something that we pick and choose between one day
>> and the next, which God you're going to pray to. For him, he believes 
>> that
>> the God of the Bible is the one that we ought to reach out to each 
>> morning
>> for guidance and for His continued blessing upon the country. . His
>> preference is that it's a Christian prayer."
>>
>> North Idaho College political scientist and human rights activist Tony
>> Stewart called that "really sad." As a student of the U.S. Constitution 
>> and
>> a teacher of it for 38 years, Stewart said he wished more people 
>> understood
>> the unique balance the Constitution's framers struck by not having a 
>> state
>> religion, but protecting the practice of all religions or even no 
>> religion.
>>
>> "One can be deeply committed to their particular religious principles
>> without discriminating against other people's right to their religion,"
>> Stewart said. "It's not the job of the state to show a preference or to
>> discriminate."
>>
>> Larry Grant, a Democrat who is running against Sali, sent a letter Sunday 
>> to
>> Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim, apologizing for Sali's
>> remarks "on behalf of the people of Idaho's 1st Congressional District."
>> Grant wrote, "His remarks, at the very least, were thoughtless, 
>> uninformed,
>> and inappropriate. We here in Idaho do cherish religious freedom, both 
>> yours
>> and ours."
>>
>> Rick Jauert, communications director for Ellison, said the Minnesota
>> congressman was out of the country finishing up a trip that included a 
>> stop
>> in Iraq. "He would not think any less of the good folks of Idaho for
>> comments that were previously made," Jauert said. "But he certainly would 
>> be
>> very appreciative of what was stated in the letter."
>>
>> Hoffman said Sali already has spoken with Ellison. "It was a very cordial
>> exchange, and there are no issues between the two of them," Hoffman said.
>>
>> Jauert said he couldn't confirm or deny that, but said, "I would take
>> Congressman Sali at his word - it would be so in keeping with the nature 
>> of
>> Congressman Ellison." He added, "The congressman really likes to look on 
>> the
>> bright side of things, and take it that perhaps people are having a bad 
>> day
>> or misspoke, chose some poor words. It's nothing personal."
>>
>> Jauert said Ellison supported the first-ever Hindu prayer being offered 
>> to
>> open a session of Congress. "We're a nation of immigrants, we're a nation 
>> of
>> many faiths, and no one particular faith should have a corner on how we
>> (open sessions)," he said.
>>
>> Ellison, a Democrat, is the first Muslim elected to Congress. He is a
>> convert to the religion who traces his U.S. ancestry back to 1741.
>>
>> In addition to Grant, a former Micron Technology executive who lost 
>> narrowly
>> to Sali in the last election, Sali's announced election challengers 
>> include
>> Republican Matt Salisbury, of Nampa, and Democrat Rand Lewis, of Worley.
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Seeya round town, Moscow.
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>> "Forty percent of the mass of every tree in the forest is crude oil. 
>> Stop
>> and think about that.  We call them fossil fuels because they used to be
>> live stuff, now in the ground is turned into crude oil."
>>
>> - Bill Sali (September 21, 2006)
>>
>>
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