America on Her Knees; Her Greatest Posture

Haha ...absolutely, Walter. The evangelical right wing with the likes of Rodriguez are pushing hard to have everyone else bending over.

How dare you even mention Zappa in this post...

that great american philosopher frank zappa once said, "there's a big difference between kneeling doen and bending over."

Rodriguez’s arrogance and blindness is shocking…owner of the truth, son of god, brother of jesus, etc, etc,…so much hot pestilent air isn’t good for global warming…

Mr. Rodriguez,

I for one am happy that President Obama did not have an official function for the National Day of Prayer at the White House. One of the main reasons for this is that by doing so the Executive Branch does not offer a symbolic presentation as to what that prayer looks like, and so does not stand in support of any particular way.

The evangelical community had been on a ego high for the years of the Bush Presidency. One of your own, up front about his belief, being the Grand PoohBah leading the christian right for America. The ceremonies were evangelical as if that was the way it should be. The Dobsons leading the National Day of Prayer organization, of all people. Elitism abounds.

I prefer this more subtle version by far. Arrogance is always distasteful to me, and it is somehow inbred and unconsciously conditioned into evangelical social behaviors. The idea that ANYONE knows the True Way, much less the will of God, is not only disgusting but is delusional.

Best that we stay open to Creation with an allowing and humble heart, appreciative of our life and those we love, without the need to forward our faulty version of it all.

I welcome enough the idea of a White House ceremony if it ever would be possible to be inclusive in such a way that no group is seen as superior and none is seen as inferior. That is not possible, least possible by those of yours that consider themselves to be the majority. That mind leads to arrogance, and arrogance is not a great gateway to God, I think. It is ugly, though.

Paganplace,

You certainly seem to have an issue with kneeling. More clearly spoken than most conservatives would.

Kneeling or other forms of supplication and subservience is not innately bad or inferior. You advertise and broadcast for one of the more distasteful of American tendencies and conditionings. Arrogance.

"...we do *not* bend our knees. Not to kings, nor religions, nor anyone claiming to represent either."

"This is a country *not* on our knees."

"As a country, we *stand,* and we don't *posture* about praying,..."

We are one of the most obstinate and arrogant peoples as a result of the dynamics of our founders and forebears. We are a great country no doubt, in part for those very reasons of Americas creation, but on negative result in the Ugly American. Arrogance.

Perhaps you find acceptable being out in nature, in a ring of trees or circle of stones and bowing. I do not know. But there is huge value in kneeling in gratitude, awe, humility. Humbleness at the profound vastness of the Universe. In awareness of our own insignificance and tininess in the greater scheme of things. In amazement at the marvel of Life, and our ability for whatever the reason, to participate in it.

Christians are not the only ones that have come to symbolize that humility at what is greater that us by kneeling. Hey, some eastern religions prostrate fully before their symbols, both living and as images, of God Consciousness.

You, like many westerners and lots of Americans, have an aversion to placing yourself in any form of submisson to most anything else that could be a superior. Perhaps you just wrap your arrogance in a pagan robe. How common.

I am not a Christian and do not abide well the desire of evangelicals to monopolize religious observance in America, and across the world. But there can be great benefit to prayer of any form, and placing oneself in humility before the Mystery of Life. Even if that means to some "kneeling".

"Whenever this nation is beyond prayer, then we find ourselves beyond America."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"We" are not beyond prayer; we are behind America. It passed us by awhile ago, as many were on their knees, eyes cast downward, minds in some heaven or 'other, while both should have been fixed on Washington.

I mean... Get it? This is what our Republic.. our *revolution* is *all about.*

We may bow our heads, we may raise our eyes, we do *not* bend our knees. Not to kings, nor religions, nor anyone claiming to represent either.

We're all equal here, and none of us, most especially not our President, need kneel at anyone's demand. Even ours.

"America on Her Knees; Her Greatest Posture"

Oh, Goddess of Liberty, how *backwards* can you get?

This is a country *not* on our knees.

As a country, we *stand,* and we don't *posture* about praying, cause we know we're just *not* tall enough to make any show of pretense we could offend 'God' by doing that honestly.

May it please all good Gods, but together, we do this on our feet.

Privately, we kneel, sit, stand, squat, prostrate, or *dance* as we see fit.

That's how we do it, here.

In America.

"Should there be a National Day of Prayer? Why not?"

Because the Constitution says "No!" to that vapid idea.

Samuel Rodriguez: "Whenever this nation is beyond prayer, then we find ourselves beyond America."

Oh, we've been "Beyond America" for a long time. Our founding fathers were deists—who consider appealing to a "Holy Other" pretty much beside the point anyway.

"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any Church that I know of. My own mind is my own Church." [Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason]

http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/thomas_paine/age_of_reason/