Asking for prayers … but it’s not about religion
The deceptively named “academic freedom” bills’ sponsors have gone to great lengths to claim the bills have nothing to do with religion. But who out there is supporting these bills and wants to see them pass? The Florida Baptist Witness, of course. And the Florida Prayer Network is involved now, too. The Gradebook blog writes about a “prayer alert” the Network sent out:
For the “academic freedom” bills, the group asks that people “pray that a difference in bill language between the House and the Senate will resolved quickly (and) pray for wisdom for the bill sponsors, Senator Ronda Storms and Representative Alan Hays.”
April 30th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Ahhh, hypocrisy and lies- don’t you just love it?
April 30th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
It looks like L F is griping about FCS all over the place including http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN40043008.htm
April 30th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
If you held any doubts about Storms real intentions this speakes for itself. Coming from a person whose very track record is fraught with narrow minded theocratic intolerance are we to believe that Storms intentions could not be religiously motivated?
April 30th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
And when the Florida Baptist Witness reports on this, it never fails to mention which Baptist church Storms and Hays attend.
April 30th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Wisdom for Ronda Storms and Alan Hays? Isn’t that asking a little much from God?
April 30th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
They should be careful praying for the wisdom of these two members of state congress. Their gods may just appear and pummel them both with clue sticks. Storms was bigoted ignoramus in Tampa, and she is still one in Tallahassee.
April 30th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Let ‘em pray all they like. As is the norm, it won’t change anything and it keeps them away from places where they could actually do some damage for awhile.
In fact, not only do I commend this pray-in, I think it should be continued for the next month and accompanied by complete fasting!
April 30th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Oh, and by the way zygosporangia, I really like your moniker.
April 30th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Thanks Mike. What can I say, I have a thing for fungi.
April 30th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Here is the title of an editorial in the Gainesville SUn supporting the bill. It says it all!
“Senate should be commended for intelligent design bill
The bill that would prohibit teachers from being penalized for offering “scientific” alternatives to evolution is good and gutsy. I thank Senate members for clearing up this very important science teaching issue for our Florida classrooms. I commend their efforts and results in this bill.
Darwinism is not a valid scientific theory. It has never been, and in fact cannot be, proven. I cannot for the life of me imagine anyone who does not see some very intelligent design in all the science discoveries; as in fDNA design, the workings of our bodies, the universe, plant design and on and on.”
from April 30th opinion column
April 30th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Thinking “The academic freedom bill is not about religion” and “The academic freedom bill is all about religion” is Orwellian doublethink:
Must be touch.
April 30th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Mary,
This also from the Gainesville Sun.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Florida license plate that would have become the first in the nation to prominently feature a religious symbol is unlikely be on the road any time soon after state lawmakers did not include it in license plate legislation Tuesday.
The plate, which included an image of a Christian cross, stained-glass window and the words “I Believe,” is not in a bill passed late Tuesday that’s now headed to the governor.Opponents of the plate said approving it would result in a court challenge because it violated the separation of church and state and gave the appearance the state was endorsing a particular religious preference.
And who would you think is pushing for this????
Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, a proponent of the plate, said the state had created a “public forum” by allowing a variety of license plate designs with different messages. Restricting speech in that forum was also unconstitutional.
NUFF SAID
April 30th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Storms is the lowest form of politician. She plays to the emotions of her constituents by pushing through these glurgy bills in hopes that the public will overlook the fact that she is completely unqualified to hold the office that she does.
April 30th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
They also wanted to pray for the ‘ultrasound before abortion bill’. Yep, a lot of good that did.
http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/8768.article
April 30th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
BTC:
I am just shocked that the power of prayer must be so impotent that a single naysayer in this 20-20 vote could not have been tripped up on his/her way to the vote by The Omnipotent One Itself.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
No news at all today about the “progress” of the two creationism bills. How can the legislature be so neglectful of this vital business?
April 30th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Mary B
Well, it’s obvious the author of that editorial is a fundie xtian who has no idea about evolution or Darwin. The best part, is that he includes plants as an argument for ID yet, he leaves out germs and germ theory. Ya know, those nasty germs that can and often do kill. Yes, ID at its’ greatest.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
test
May 1st, 2008 at 5:25 pm
The only thing worth praying for is an end to all religion…before it ends all of us.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Hey David! Say Hi to CA for me!
May 1st, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I believe this Asimov quote sums up Ms. Storms and her ilk:
“Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it bitterly.”
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:46 am
I don’t get the whole concept of prayer. Let me see if I got this straight - God (if you believe in one) is omnipotent, all powerful and knows everything. He knows what was, what is and what shall be. And he also has a plan for each and every one of us. So let’s say that, as part of God’s plan, you get cancer. Now you and all your family and friends are supposed to pray for God to miraculously cure you of your cancer. So if God grants you this prayer (yeah, right), he has proven himself to not to be all powerful and omnipotent since you were able to change his mind about you having cancer. If you are not cured, you have proven that God’s plan cannot be changed. So what is the point of prayer?
All that being said, I do not believe in God, prayer, religion or any other silly superstitions. Hopefully, they will all fade away and reason shall rule.