Same Song, Different Verse
Every now and then, when I have a few moments, I like to go to Google News and put in the search terms “atheism OR atheist,” just to see what kinds of things are happening. It’s usually pretty interesting stuff, from the front lines of the “culture wars.” This morning I did that search and found this letter to the editor in the Sioux City Journal:
I have a suggestion for all City Council members. The next time you feel a need to pray to a mythical cosmic being, do so in the privacy of your home or place of worship. When you come to a council meeting, be prepared to think in a logical and rational manner in addressing the problems facing this city.
Is it any wonder why people in eastern Iowa, Omaha, Sioux Falls and elsewhere see Sioux City as a laughable backwater when you have a council member worrying about satanic prayer at council meetings? In my opinion, what he said was not only nonsensical, but embarrassing.
When are conservative Bible thumpers going to understand that we all do not walk in lockstep behind their beliefs, their religion or their God. It’s called thinking independently. It is called living in a democracy.
How many cities across the United States have had this debate? Has anyone been left out?
From what I can tell, that letter is a response to a previous story in the same paper where one of the city council members worried that a proposal for each of the council members to take turns saying a “nonsectarian” prayer at the start of each meeting would allow non-Christians to speak, too:
He said he was not concerned that the current council members would say satanic prayers but said he was worried about what might happen in the future.
“If I saw someone with a satanic belief, I would have trouble living with myself. … I don’t like the opportunity this is presenting to nonbelievers. I will not give someone a stage to bash him (God).”
In other words, he would only allow a spoken prayer at the start of each city council meeting if he could guarantee it was a Christian one. He made the right decision for the wrong reason. As the letter-writer quoted above pointed out, a city council is a practical group that should spend its time solving basic local problems, not an institution of religious devotion. At least this council member recognizes that he cannot force Christianity on others.
It is fascinating how many communities have argued over this kind of thing. Maybe people think their local city council is their last foothold to keep Christianity established as the official or quasi-official religion of the land. Maybe they just don’t have any other important or pressing problems to handle in their area, so they can spend their resources trying to make political institutions seem like religious ones.
At any rate, one of the best things about the internet and about Google News is that it allows us to read about these low-stakes disputes in relatively small towns. I think it’s good to see how people tend to play out the same dramas everywhere, with their own local flavor. For instance, if you read the news item linked above, you can see that Rob Zombie, of all things, was a major part of that council member’s decision. Go figure.
Hardly a day goes by when there’s not at least one letter about religious culture wars printed in the Wichita paper. The same arguments, over and over and over.
Which makes me wonder when this kind of thing will finally end.
What I wonder is when the last time was that anyone actually met a worshipper of Satan. I’ve met plenty of non-Christians, but never a Satan worshipper. By the way some folks talk about them, you’d think they were everywhere (ala “They Live”).
[...] is a common example: Should city council meetings begin with a [...]