DNC: Gov. Dean Statement on National Day of Prayer

[MaineDem]

For Immediate Release
May 5, 2005

Contact: Karen Finney
202-863-8148

Gov. Dean Statement on National Day of Prayer

WASHINGTON-- The Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Gov. Howard
Dean, issued the following statement regarding The National Day of Prayer:

"I am pleased to join with Americans and the National Day of Prayer Task Force
in recognizing May 5th, 2005 as a National Day of Prayer.

"Whether it is around the kitchen table, on the way to work or at the bedside
of a loved one, millions of Americans pause during their day to draw comfort
and strength from prayer. On this day we honor the important role that faith
and prayer play in so many of our lives."

**********

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.
org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's
committee.

[xray s]

1. Hey! May 5 is already taken!

Cinco de Mayo don't yield to no stinkin' federales!

[noamnety]

2. I am praying

that they stop using my donations for junk like this. People don't need republicans OR democrats telling them to pray.

[JDPriestly]

3. I think it is a good statement.

It is non-sectarian and honors the role of religion in many Americans' lives without endorsing any particular religion or stating that being religious makes you right or superior.

[Cha]

4. Yes, it is..it was meant not to

offend anyone.

Cinco de Mayo is taken but since fuckhead declared it National Prayer Day..what are we going to do?..Say it isn't?

[tritsofme]

5. Congress declared it National Day of Prayer in the 50s.

To root out godless commies no doubt.

[Totally Committed]

10. Here's what we did in my house --

We ate enchiladas, guacamole and chips, and margharitas... but first we said grace (that's a prayer, right?):

"We love our bread,
We love our butter,
But most of all,
We love each other.
Amen."

Then we chowed down!

You cannot allow this idiot (Bush) and the people pulling his strings to get you down with every stupid idea they come up with to try and look pious and "Christian".

Happy Cinco de Mayo to all of you! And thank you, Howard Dean for issuing a statement that doesn't make us all seem like horse's petoots!

TC

[Cha]

18. Delicious Cinco de Mayo

comida! :toast:

[lyonn]

21. My day

Actually I had lunch with my grandson at a Mex restaurant and I had a Margarita. It was so festive, the place was getting ready for the nights festivities. I felt young again. Then left and shopped for g-son's 20th b'day gift, great kid. Your Grace was nice, we skipped it at restaurant.
Edit: Chicken enchiladas for me

[noamnety]

6. It doesn't read that way to me

A Government sponsored National Day of Prayer TASK FORCE doesn't sound like they are endorsing religion?

I think it's a fine statement coming from a church, but a crap statement coming from a government organization or a political party.

[Adelante]

7. Huh?

What is this for?

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. URL

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050505.html

Dean is being quite canny. It galls to play along with them, but now they can't claim Us versus Them regarding prayer.

Unfortunately, this also opens the door to "then it's alright to pray in school".

[janx]

11. I don't think so. And actually, it's perfectly OK if kids want

to pray in school or pray anywhere--as long as it's not part of the curriculum in the public school.

[Fire Walk With Me]

12. I should have specified that.. I meant that they want stepping stones

into mandatory prayer.

Of course, all of this is merely posturing for their best-bet allies, and not their actual belief $y$tem.

[Dervill Crow]

13. Like they say . . .

as long as there are tests, they will never completely eradicate prayer in schools.

[Fire Walk With Me]

8. "Day of Prayer" is a stacked deck. They've just framed prayer as theirs.

Oppose it and they'll light up, screaming justification to their claims of "other faith", whatever that means/invokes in those who pray along with Bush.

"Pray along with Bush" day.. I like that.. Would make no difference..

[Grooner Five]

14. Dean must be more religious than I thought

[Carolab]

15. You don't get it.

He is saying that Democrats are not godless liberals but people of faith also; that Republicans don't OWN religion, even though they keep trying to make it seem so.

Dean is no more or less religious than anyone, from what I know.

P.S. His wife is Jewish so his is an "interfaith marriage".

[Eloriel]

20. Right, except he's more religious than I am and less religious

than most fundamentalists and evangelicals you can name. IMO he handles his religion exactly the way someone who HAS a religion should: he keeps it to himself, attends church whenever he attends church, prays whenever he prays, and doesn't bother the rest of us with all of it because this is a secular society.

Other than that, good post.

[bread_and_roses]

16. We don't need the Goverment to tell us to pray

And I detest it when any Pol smarms around the issue of separation of Church and State. The Goverment has no more business declaring a day of prayer than it does declaring a day of non-prayer. Does any Dem actually believe that the fundie nuts are going to vote for them because the DNC Chair or some Rep makes a statement on National Prayer Day? And btw, notice how much different it sounds phrased that way.

We are the laughing stock of the rest of the civilized world with our constant god-talk in politics. How long, oh lord, how long, till one of them has the guts to say that prayer and religion are private matters or at least be silent and get on with the business of governing rather than pandering?

[Mass]

17. So Bush had to take Holocaust Remembrance Day as the National Day

of Prayer.

[PurityOfEssence]

19. the sad reality of the faithwar

Those who don't believe in a supernatural whatever not only have no voice but are to be shunned. Much as I take heart in the goodness of many of faith who will rally around the causes of nurturing the weak and restraining the nasty, the battle will be won or lost on the grounds of faith. When the smoke clears, only those of faith will matter. Whether the collusion of leftist or non-aligned believers is pernicious or merely superstitious, it doesn't really matter.

I, for one, throw my support behind those gentle and sweet believers of a just and tolerant society, but I know full well that the ensuing battle will be one where the only voices deigned to be heard will be ones of faith, and this will reinforce the bigotry of many believers that only believers count.

Neutered as I am of a voice, all I can do is nudge from the sidelines.