Only my religion, please.

It is customary for the Senate to begin each of its sessions with an invocation, a prayer asking for guidance in the session. Last Thursday's invocation was a noteworthy one, as it was performed by a Hindu priest for the first time, as opposed to the usual Christian religious leaders (there have been Jewish and Muslim invocations before). I think it is questionable whether any prayer belongs in the Senate at all. Also in objection to the Senate's invocation were three protesters representing Operation Save America. Their concern, however, was slightly different than mine. They interrupted Rajan Zed's invocation, saying, "Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight. This is an abomination. We shall have no other gods before You." The Hindu priest continued and finished the prayer, but this was certainly not the way this historic instance of religious freedom and tolerance should have ideally proceeded. These protesters, and probably many more Americans, believe that prayer and religion belong in the government, but only the correct religion - theirs - of course. This intolerance is upsetting, and I am glad our Founding Fathers had the foresight they did in writing the First Amendment.

As for the appropriateness of an invocation at all, perhaps a diverse representation of religions for the invocations is appropriate and fitting with the American ideal of celebrating our nation's melting pot of a population. But isn't that preferring religion over non-religion? Or would Congress not have a problem with an atheist-led invocation?

Read more about this from the Times of India.


Malin von Euler-Hogan