Rowlett atheist group requests opportunity to give city council invocation
Last week, members of Metroplex Atheists Rowlett sent a formal request to the Rowlett city secretary for an opportunity to give an atheist invocation at the beginning of a Rowlett City Council meeting. Council meetings begin with an invocation, or prayer. A policy established by the city allows for any established religion in the city to give the opening invocation.
Rowlett does not have any established places of worship other than Christian denominations. According to a 2002 survey, the majority of residents adhere to some form of Christianity. City officials have been openly in favor of the Christian invocation, stating that it is representative of the population.
Members of the Metroplex Atheists Rowlett cite the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Town of Greece v. Galloway case, which states that invocations before government meetings are permissible. However, the court stipulated that the prayer cannot be demeaning of any other religion, attempt to convert people and that the council cannot coerce attendees to participate in the prayer. The decision also allowed for non-religious invocations to be given.
“This is a simple case of equal time,” said Randy Word, president of Metroplex Atheists. “The Supreme Court says that invocations are constitutional if the policy doesn’t discriminate along sectarian bounds. That includes invocations by representatives of atheism, humanism, Wicca or any other religious tradition.” SOURCE
A policy established by the city allows for any established religion in the city to give the opening invocation.
So, if I understand this correctly the atheists are claiming that they now have a *church* of some sort, an established religion, if atheism can be regarded as a religion, and that they hold *services* in their homes. And as it was relayed to me, they sent off that $49.95 to the *Church of What’s Happening Now* and got a couple of folks *ordained* as some sort of charlatan, shaman or the like.
I wonder? Do they consider it to be *services* when they meet at a local bar or eatery and slug back a few beers and margaritas?
Their 1st attempt to disrupt was a protest to stop ALL invocations, no matter which minister gave the invocation. They lost.
This is nothing more than a continued attempt to disrupt Council meetings atthe City of Rowlett and bring about as much hatred and discontent as possible.
Their 2nd attempt was to stop ALL invocations and have a *moment of silence*, but the SCOTUS ruling pretty much squashed that bug. Atheists lose again.
Their 3rd attempt was to protest saying that Rowlett policy was discriminatory against ALL religions that weren’t actually based IN Rowlett and that it kept THEM from being able to come here and offer the invocation. This was, to me, the silliest attention grab yet. What part of Rowlett City Council Meetings do these people not understand? This is not *The World Stage of the United Nations* as a select few seem to think.
Now we have a 4th attempt, one that leads to them giving an invocation to *something* or someone, I have no idea what, maybe a can of Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli?
I say this in ALL sincerity; these cretins are not at all interested in giving an invocation, they merely want to make a statement and to gain some sort of notoriety and claim some sort of victory for atheism after they once again disrupt Rowlett Council meetings and get their names in the news for doing so.
Remember this folks; one atheist, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, in 1960 sued the Baltimore City Public School System in which she asserted that it was unconstitutional for her son William to be required to participate in Bible readings at Baltimore public schools.
After consolidation with Abington School District v. Schempp, the lawsuit reached the Supreme Court of the United States in 1963. The Court voted 8–1 in Schempp’s favor, which effectively banned mandatory Bible verse recitation at public schools in the United States. Prayer in schools other than Bible-readings had already been ended in 1962 by the Court’s ruling in Engel v. Vitale. SOURCE
That’s the way they work America; they start in a small town that is considered to be an easy target and they look to build any and every victory they can, no matter how small it may be and then they compile a list of minuscule victories to make a case for a Supreme Court ruling.
That is how the game is played, and prayer in America, even a non-specific invocation is in serious danger.
If Rowlett doesn’t stand, as ONE, stand against these people, get off their couches, turn off the TV and realize that there is something more important than Dancing With the Stars, American Idol and so forth, there is NO HOPE left for this city, state or nation.
If our elected officials don’t bring this atheist crap to an immediate halt and if somehow these atheists gain ANY sort of victory, the backlash against Rowlett City Government will be tremendous and I will be standing in front, leading the crowd, if we can find enough interested people that is.
I’ll be easy to spot, I’ll be the one with the brightest torch and longest pitchfork.
I can see it now: We bow our heads today to ask Nothing to guide us, Nothing to give us wisdom in our decisions, Nothing to protect the good people of Rowlett. May Nothing fill our hearts as we proceed here today.
I know its serious business, but think about it.
LMAO… That and the Beef Ravioli…
I’ll record and send the atheist group my long fart in the morning when I wake up. They can do the sign of the assbreathe with it. That of course is hole your nose.
My guess is that they would appeal to “reason” for guidance. You can be sure of one thing: if the council gives them three minutes it will be three minutes of propaganda against religion. A simple and effective (and righteous IMO) rule would be that no invocation can be used to speak ill of another religion.
Keep your powder dry
Atheism is most certainly not a “religion” and by that definition alone it has no right to be giving an “invocation”, understood as an expression of a spiritual nature to secure the blessings of God. This group should be opposed by as many resident of Rowlett as possible. This is about freedom of religion, not freedom of speech.
You nailed it, Alan
The entire purpose of free thinkers (aka athiests), is to discredit organized religion. Now they are attempting ride the coat tails of the very thing they are trying to destroy.
Chuck ‘em out with last night’s dish water and move on.
I wish I could stand with you Fred. I don’t see a problem with faith of any kind, except the kind that want to kill anyone who disbelieves in their false religion. Atheism is the lack of belief in a higher power. They believe in a theory that seems to be proven false as we, as a species grow in intelligence. It burns my ass when I hear someone mock God and disparage the people who worship. Someday I will pass away and will, I believe, live on as all believing Christians do, in the kingdom of heaven. (I hope I don’t wind up in the other place). Just remember that Communism is an atheistic idea.
Is it just me or did they make a huge mistake in doing this?
A policy established by the city allows for any established religion in the city to give the opening invocation.
So, if I understand this correctly the atheists are claiming that they now have a *church* of some sort, an established religion, if atheism can be regarded as a religion, and that they hold *services* in their homes.
If they have established Atheism as a religion; then people can sue to prevent the imposition of that ‘religion’ on the public, right?
“We bow our heads today to ask Nothing to guide us, Nothing to give us wisdom in our decisions, Nothing to protect the good people ”
Ahhh yes, of course, that thing currently in the White House.
Atheists are making a lousy bet on the end of life.
I, as a believer in God, have nothing to lose if I die and am wrong.
Atheists have nothing to gain and are up to their ears in it if they are wrong.
These are like gay activists, ecological activists, animal rights activists, open carry activists, etc. The key word is activist and they probably don’t reflect well on their non activist members. Activist is another word for disrupter. These people are strictly attention whores wanting to cause trouble for others. The less attention paid to them the less effective their cause of the day. They are commonly found at public political events where their goal is to disrupt. The best cures are ignore or stomp the shit outta them.
To my readers: This is a copy of the email I sent to the Rowlett City Council today.
Folks, I am DONE with this battle…
I’ll fight the Devil if need be, I’ll fight with you, but it’s gotta be shoulder to shoulder, not ME doing the fighting for a cheering section that is empowering these people by allowing them to take over the Rowlett page on Facebook and further empowering them by them being on the *friends list* with Todd Gottel and Michael Gallops as they (the atheists) see that *friendship* as a secret signal that they are actually being supported behind the scenes.
I’m a lot of things, and most, if not ALL of you know that I am a very plain-spoken person that will tell you the truth, even if that truth pisses you off.
Well here’s the truth; you can’t make all of the people happy, you have NO obligation to keep anyone on your friends list, especially trouble makers like this atheist group, it’s YOUR list of friends and you’re not collecting scalps. What the hell, they’re NOT going to vote for you for crying out loud; WHY empower them? Intentional or otherwise?
You may be limited to what you can voice, I DO understand that, but stop giving them credence in their fight by letting them take their fight to your personal page or the Rowlett page.
You all know that I truly grew to detest John Harper, but he FOUGHT these people, I have to give him that, and he cut them off at the knees on his personal page. There’s a lesson in that I believe.
Interested in seeing Todd’s or Michael’s reply.
Keep your powder dry
Me too, but so far all I hear is crickets… In all fairness, they have been very busy with 4th of July and the City… We’ll see what transpires, but we’re looking to buy a home and I am NOT married to Rowlett..
Rockwall (City AND County) gets you away from all the Dallas County “Drama” JWP, Lupe, DISD, and the list goes on and on and on…
Believe me, we’re looking at property in Rockwall, town and county… I have had it with the drama, the *can’t we all just get along* crap and a few other matters…
I’m looking there as well, and in Copeville.
I will say that I am an athiest, and for me, there is a HUGE difference between an athiest and an “anti-theists”, who are the real assholes giving all of us a bad name.
Antitheists are the jerks that want to rid the world of religion. They want to tear down the ten commandments. They want to get rid of nativity scenes, and prayer in school, and on and on. They want to remove religion. Whereas, as an athiest, I embrace religion. I LOVE seeing a nativity scene. It means Christmas is coming, and that always seems to bring out the best in people. The ten commandments are a damn good start to our legal system. An religion that teaches men to be good and love others, well, that’s a good way to live and should be.
I was raised very religious. I went to a christian school, church twice a week at least. I was active in my church, a member of the choir and on and on. I still bow my head for prayer, as it is the respectful thing to do, and is a great moment to reflect on life and goodness of it. I have no issue with anyone practicing any religion, as long as it does not harm others. If it helps all lead a good life, then so be it. I lead a good and righteous life too. I respect others, and think religion, and more of it, would be great.
However, I asked a lot of questions. I saw a lot of evil, and death to loved ones, and heard of God’s plan and taking certain people away and so on. Hunger, atrocities, and so much, that for me, no just God would ever allow. I read the bible, how God killed everyone but Noah and his family, because they didn’t love him enough. That God just had to kill his son Jesus, in order to forgive our sins, instead of just plain forgiving us, without the death of someone. I could not believe in a just greater being, if death and destruction is what he commanded because he felt we did not love him enough. If any man did this, he would be denounced. God, for me, had no greater right to kill. Just because he supposedly gave us the gift of life, gave him no right to take it.
That is my view. I will say that I believe in every good lesson of religion, just not the big guy in the sky part. I believe religion represents all that is the best of humanity, and the goal to which all we should aspire. That God, is us.
I really do wish there was a supreme and merciful and selfless higher being, and life after this was all it is said to be in the bible. But for now, I cannot. Not after what I have seen in this world. Maybe someday again, but not now.
And that to me, is an athiest. The anti-theists are the ones that hate religion. Blame these idiots. But the average athiest simply want to live and let live, love religion, and all the good it does, and thinks it should be prominent in society.
I hope this doesn’t make me unpopular here, but it is me. I don’t brandish atheism as a weapon, nor do I want to use it to destroy others, like what is being done so much today. I will say, that despite my belief, or lack of it, I stand more in line and have more in common with Christians and Judeo beliefs, than that of the average “athiest” that is making the headlines these days.
Unwelcome? Not a chance…
I don’t brandish atheism as a weapon, nor do I want to use it to destroy others, like what is being done so much today
That sums it up quite well in my opinion… You see, I am not a Christian, I am an Agnostic, but like you said, I don’t hate religion, I don’t hate any part of it, as long as people are sincere in their efforts…
I HATE HYPOCRITES!
I seriously do, I hate hypocrites of ALL types… People that say one thing to me and another to you, people that only speak to stir the crap, that’s what I hate.. This activist bunch here in Rowlett keeps trying to convince everyone that I hate them because they are atheists, I do NOT… I detest them for their actions, trying to FORCE their way into everything in Rowlett, just like Muslims, it must be done THEIR way…
One way bastards and hypocrites, THAT is what I want to see gone, not just from Rowlett, but the entire USA..
You’re always welcome here, because you are sane, because you are reasonable and because you don’t try to FORCE your beliefs on me on me or anyone else.. ..
Well, this hypocrite will pray for both you and dekare…Because I know and believe differently….And, yes, I’m a hypocrite-to paraphrase the Apostle Paul, “…what I hate, I do and what I desire (to be) I (so often) am not…”
YOU my friend are one of the most sincere *believers* I know, you’re NO hypocrite… Never have been to my knowledge…
Well, I am! But I try to admit it every chance I get-so everyone knows I know it too!
Good answer… And for folks that don’t know, Native Son is a great friend and a trusted confidant, I would take his given word on anything… And he IS a serious Christian, but he’s not one that forces his beliefs off on others… In other words, he’s a pretty good example and *some folks* need to take a lesson in what it is that a MAN does and how he does it!
That’s how I feel about you NS…
I am humbled….