Matt Gaetz Wants More Prayer In Schools

[Cheerful Charlie]

Playing the religion card

.....
Representitive Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is promoting legislation he says would codify the right to pray in public schools, which already exists, in the hope of drawing “people into more empathy and kindness.”

In an interview with local Florida ABC affiliate WEAR on Monday the Florida Republican warned the “far-left gender ideology and divisive race ideology that we’ve seen in other parts of the country has really permeated the school system.”

“I think that more space for prayer for students in schools is probably better than creating more space for, you know, the next pansexual poetry hour in Portland,” he added, warning about “degenerate content.”
.....

A cute line to stir up the MAGAtards. Gaetz is sponsering legislation to allow prayer in school despite the fact prayer is not banned, just coerced and mandated mass public prayer.

Gaetz pushes public school prayer instead of 'Pansexual Poetry Hour in Portland'

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is promoting legislation he says would codify the right to pray in public schools, which already exists, in the hope of drawing “people into more empathy and kindness.”In an interview with local Florida ABC affiliate WEAR on Monday the Florida Republican warned the...

www.alternet.org

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Like he believes in god.

 

[TomC]

Like he believes in god.

Sure he does.

Like Christians have done for centuries, Gaetz has recreated God in his own image so God agrees with everything Gaetz believes.

It's easy and profitable.
Tom

 

[SLD]

Great idea. Then we atheists can go to these spaces and demand equal time. We can force our views as easily as they force theirs. Tee it up motherfuckers.

 

[Swammerdami]

Former Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a minor.

The DoJ had evidence that Gaetz was also guilty of felony sex trafficking, but dropped the case. Presumably DoJ either thought evidence was too meager, or felt that a jury would not convict.

I see that the House Ethics Committee -- controlled by the QOP -- re-opened an investigation into Gaetz' sex trafficking in June. Presumably this is pay-back for his humiliating Kevin McCarthy in January's popcorn-and-Speaker-vote show.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Matthew 6:5-6

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

No public praying. Jesus said so. The Bible proves it. That settles it!

 

[southernhybrid]

We had group prayer in school in the 50s, before SCOTUS over turned it. It was such bullshit. We sat there reciting "The Lord's Prayer" everyday, and then the teacher read a short passage from the Bible. My evangelical Christian mom seemed to be relieved when prayer was taken out of school because most of my friends and teachers were Catholics and she preferred to indoctrinate me at home in her own way. You would think that most religious folks wouldn't want prayer like that in the public schools. What if the teacher was Muslim, or Baha'i? Would Gaetz like those teachers praying or having the class involved in a group prayer? I doubt it. They want a Christian theocracy.

 

[bilby]

We had group prayer in school in the 50s, before SCOTUS over turned it. It was such bullshit. We sat there reciting "The Lord's Prayer" everyday, and then the teacher read a short passage from the Bible. My evangelical Christian mom seemed to be relieved when prayer was taken out of school because most of my friends and teachers were Catholics and she preferred to indoctrinate me at home in her own way. You would think that most religious folks wouldn't want prayer like that in the public schools. What if the teacher was Muslim, or Baha'i? Would Gaetz like those teachers praying or having the class involved in a group prayer? I doubt it. They want a Christian theocracy.

We had mandatory collective religious worship in school, and I believe it's still required by law in England and Wales.

I am convinced that it is a major contributor to the absence of religious belief in England and Wales.

I can still recall getting detention for not having my eyes closed during prayer (or, to be more accurate, for asking the teacher who told me off for having my eyes open how he knew that my eyes were open if his were closed - teachers in general have a bad reaction to back-chat, particularly when they don't have a good response for it).

Exposing kids to half-baked religion is a good way to teach them that religion is ludicrous, pointless, and arbitrary.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

I wish I was a better artist. Sell all you have and give to the poor. Pray in private. Matthew 25. Draw up some Chick like comics.

 

[Elixir]

asking the teacher who told me off for having my eyes open how he knew that my eyes were open if his were closed

Oh fuck!
How old were you then?
My analogous moment came with the recitation of The Lord’s Prayer in the first grade in a New England public school.
I asked for some clarification of one of the slurred lines (“Wilby Dunn” or something) and got told to “just say it”. That’s when I found out the shocking fact that the word “why” could send adults into paroxysms of rage.

 

[bilby]

How old were you then?

Maybe nine or ten.

 

[Elixir]

How old were you then?

Maybe nine or ten.

Well then you deserved it.
You shoulda known better by then.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Dear God and Father of Our Savior,
Hear us, we pray, from classroom 3B at Palmetto Primary School. Lord, help us master the benchmarks in the Florida Regents' Master Curriculum, especially today's lesson in Heritage Citizenship, Level 3, history, The Age of Forced Vocational Education 1619-1865. And, Lord, help us to be normal, cis-gendered citizens and future wage earners and homemakers.
Also Lord, let the security footage come forward of Representative Gaetz at the 2019 Miss Teen USA contest, backstage, with the three-way camera, if you know my meaning, Lord; let the Emory U Hospital records come to light, also, Lord, of the transgender surgery for Marcus Tevet-Greenblatt, now Marjorie Taylor Greene of the alarming cheekbones; and Lord, let even the Tass footage of Irina, Marina, and Minxi showering Mr. Trump in gold, pure gold, at Moskva Hotel Lenin be revealed to the people, and let the outtakes from The Apprentice come forth, with the same man using the N-word, and I don't mean non-negotiable bonds. (Don't roll your eyes at me, Courtney, this is prayer time. Prayer time!) All these good things we ask, Lord, in your name and in your son's name (and I, Miss Cook, will give up Kahlua if even one of these is granted, I swear). In Jesus' name, we pray, that these things Wilby Dunn. AMEN.

 

[TomC]

I wish I was a better artist. Sell all you have and give to the poor. Pray in private. Matthew 25. Draw up some Chick like comics.

There is something very ironic about a middle class couple hopping out of their late model luxury car, wearing their best wool powersuits,

To worship the author of "do not store up treasure that rust and moth will devour"
Tom

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

I wish I was a better artist. Sell all you have and give to the poor. Pray in private. Matthew 25. Draw up some Chick like comics.

There is something very ironic about a middle class couple hopping out of their late model luxury car, wearing their best wool powersuits,

To worship the author of "do not store up treasure that rust and moth will devour"
Tom

Another modern preacher habit as of late seems to be megachurch ministers prancing around on stage wearing the latest $1000.00 designer sneakers.

 

[TomC]

I asked for some clarification of one of the slurred lines (“Wilby Dunn” or something) and got told to “just say it”. That’s when I found out the shocking fact that the word “why” could send adults into paroxysms of rage.

Heh.
I had a similar experience my first day of second grade. My very intimidating teacher put a glass jar on her desk with a slot cut in the lid. She let us kids know that she expected us to fill it with small change by the end of the school year. So The Church could help feed starving kids in Africa. The first words that popped out of my mouth were "How much is Jesus putting in there?"
Much hilarity ensued.
Tom

 

[southernhybrid]

We had group prayer in school in the 50s, before SCOTUS over turned it. It was such bullshit. We sat there reciting "The Lord's Prayer" everyday, and then the teacher read a short passage from the Bible. My evangelical Christian mom seemed to be relieved when prayer was taken out of school because most of my friends and teachers were Catholics and she preferred to indoctrinate me at home in her own way. You would think that most religious folks wouldn't want prayer like that in the public schools. What if the teacher was Muslim, or Baha'i? Would Gaetz like those teachers praying or having the class involved in a group prayer? I doubt it. They want a Christian theocracy.

We had mandatory collective religious worship in school, and I believe it's still required by law in England and Wales.

I am convinced that it is a major contributor to the absence of religious belief in England and Wales.

I can still recall getting detention for not having my eyes closed during prayer (or, to be more accurate, for asking the teacher who told me off for having my eyes open how he knew that my eyes were open if his were closed - teachers in general have a bad reaction to back-chat, particularly when they don't have a good response for it).

Exposing kids to half-baked religion is a good way to teach them that religion is ludicrous, pointless, and arbitrary.

Maybe, but it sure didn't work when I was in elementary school. Then again, I spent my childhood in New Jersey where even the Catholics didn't believe all the bullshit they were told. On the other hand, when I told some of my evangelical church friends that we were taught a bunch of BS that had no truth in it. One told me not to think too much. That's the secret to religious belief. Don't think too much.

Anyway, most kids where I live now are exposed to half baked religion, but some are exposed to extremist versions. My city of about 25K has well over 50 churches from mini to mega. There are 3 within walking distance of my house and I live in the burbs. Yet, I know a few Christians who never go to church and hate organized religion. Go figure.

 

[lostone]

Trust and obey
There's no other way
to be happy in Jesus
But to Trust and obey

Words of an old hymn we used to sing in Presbyterian Sunday School when I was just a young boy

Thinking not encouraged

We also had school wide religious services, in a public high school, in the auditorium, and devotional reading before the first class of the day. Northeastern North Carolina, 1950s.

 

[Gospel]

I wish I was a better artist. Sell all you have and give to the poor. Pray in private. Matthew 25. Draw up some Chick like comics.

One doesn't need to be a traditional artist to produce art with the assistance of AI these days. Your post is all the AI would need to generate that content.

I have no qualms about introducing prayer in classrooms, provided that any form of coercion or mistreatment — be it by students or staff — towards those who choose not to participate leads to consequences, potentially as severe as suspension or job termination. The same standards should apply to non-believers if they unfairly treat believers within the public school setting. Unfortunately for school staff, the constitution limits their role to that of a moderator.

It might be challenging to retain the support of teachers at the polls after that, though.

 

[Elixir]

I have no qualms about introducing prayer in classrooms,

I have a damn lot of qualms.
I resent the time spent in grades 1-3 when I learned the most, that was spent reciting the Lord’s Prayer (in a public school!), the pledge of allegiance and other conditioning rituals.
I wish that time had been used to EDUCATE ME. I was told that was the purpose of school.