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.”

About Brandon Haught

Communications Director for Florida Citizens for Science.
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22 Responses to Asking for prayers … but it’s not about religion

  1. Green Earth says:

    Ahhh, hypocrisy and lies- don’t you just love it?

  2. Pete Dunkelberg says:

    It looks like L F is griping about FCS all over the place including http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN40043008.htm

  3. Jonathan Smith says:

    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?

  4. John Pieret says:

    And when the Florida Baptist Witness reports on this, it never fails to mention which Baptist church Storms and Hays attend.

  5. Egaeus says:

    Wisdom for Ronda Storms and Alan Hays? Isn’t that asking a little much from God?

  6. zygosporangia says:

    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.

  7. Mike O'Risal says:

    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!

  8. Mike O'Risal says:

    Oh, and by the way zygosporangia, I really like your moniker.

  9. zygosporangia says:

    Thanks Mike. What can I say, I have a thing for fungi. 🙂

  10. MaryB says:

    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

  11. MelM says:

    Thinking “The academic freedom bill is not about religion” and “The academic freedom bill is all about religion” is Orwellian doublethink:

    From Wikipedia: The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them . . . . To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.[

    Must be touch.

  12. Jonathan Smith says:

    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

  13. zygosporangia says:

    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.

  14. BTC says:

    They also wanted to pray for the ‘ultrasound before abortion bill’. Yep, a lot of good that did.

    http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/8768.article

  15. Captdave says:

    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.

  16. PatrickHenry says:

    No news at all today about the “progress” of the two creationism bills. How can the legislature be so neglectful of this vital business?

  17. firemancarl says:

    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.

  18. firemancarl says:

    test

  19. The only thing worth praying for is an end to all religion…before it ends all of us.

  20. S.Scott says:

    Hey David! Say Hi to CA for me!

  21. Paulr says:

    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.”

  22. Mark says:

    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.

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