In spite of our Constitution’s language supporting the notion of separation of church and state, I think all politicians and elected officials should pray at the beginning of every public meeting they attend. I just wish their prayers were silent ones, because quite frankly, I’ve heard enough “God Bless America” invocations to last a lifetime and I doubt the self-serving drivel that passes for public prayer these days would convince the Almighty that we are anything but hypocrites when it comes to working toward the common good. Yeah, you can call me jaded and disillusioned, but at least I’m not blinded by public displays of religiosity that so many of our leaders and elected officials use these days to cloak their own greed and self-interest.
Take the so-called “War on Christmas” that Sarah Palin was ranting about several weeks ago. Palin was bemoaning efforts to remove Christian crèches from public property and suggested that it was an affront to the true meaning of Christmas, yet when asked whether over-commercialization was also part of the “War on Christmas,” she didn’t even blink when suggesting that it was actually part of God’s glorious plan.
You see, Palin was astute enough to recognize that the Almighty doesn’t vote or contribute to the political action committees that are near and dear to her, so when it came time to choose between the Almighty or political and business interests, she chose the latter. Sadly, when politicians advocate for public prayer, more often than not they’re doing the same thing. Their prayers are little more than bait-and-switch propositions, and the rest of us are meant to play the fools. So, go ahead. Let them pray and make a spectacle of their empty words. Empty words mean nothing!
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