Things changed when John Cusick became Council President. Instead of recruiting local clerics, he opted to offer a meaningless secular prayer himself. That's when I stopped standing for pre-meeting prayers. This drew a few side-long glances from others in the audience, but as a blogger, I was already unpopular.
When Ken Kraft became Council President, he dropped the pre-meeting prayer completely. Nobody complained. Nobody missed it.
Until last night, when Council considered adopting rules of order. Council member John Brown, noting that previous versions included a pre-meeting prayer, suggested adding one. Council member Tara Zrinski objected on the basis of the Establishment Clause. Things went back and forth and Council eventually arrived at a consensus that meetings start with either a prayer or a moment of silence.
I'll still refuse to pray at any public meeting. At the one public meeting Jesus attended - his own frickin' trial - he refused to pray. When elected officials beat themselves on the chest and wear their religion on their sleeves, they remind me of the original virtue signalers - the Pharisees. Jesus, you may recall, slammed them. "On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
The new Council rules contain a provision that bans Council members from engaging in text messaging with others during meetings unless disclosed as public comment. This is aimed primarily at Council member Tara Zrinski, who has been accused at times of getting marching orders during meetings from the administration.
Almost all of my text messages during meetings have been aimed at Council members Lori Vargo Heffner and Ron Heckman and that is to advise them when Council members are failing to use their microphones.
27 comments:
Two points.
What would Buddy Christ do?
And can the leader of the Satan Club offer an incantation?
Why can't you use your cell phone as an information system to give you immediate information or recall notes you may have saved? You can have a lap top computer but not a cell phone. What a bunch of rectums.
I think they can. They can also engage in text messages with members of the admin or public, but must disclose it if they do. I have no problem with that. I want them to use their mikes. I think a strictly personal message from a spouse or family member would be excluded.
And here comes a request from the church of satan to host the prayer ... in 3,2,1 ....
Don't we have more pressing issues than this crap..again? Brown of all people could care less about faith and religion! He is a crass political charlatan at best. Tara needs to be quiet as she is on her way out the doors of the council chamber. I prefer Cusick's path and Angle's second.
Luv the pic of Orange Jesus in prayer with holy folks laying their hands on the least Christ-like human to ever occupy the White House. Clearly prayer doesn't work. Skip it and get down to the people's business, NorCo Council.
Why can't the Bible-huggers just pray on their own? No, they have to make a public spectacle of it and force others to participate.
"And can the leader of the Satan Club offer an incantation?"
So give us some examples and compare with the typical invocation heard now.
Maybe they should pledge allegiance so they are reminded at every meeting if just who the hell they work for.
10:15, They do. I actually consider the loyalty oath just another kind of virtue signaling that is only slightly more palatable than pre-meeting prayer. Reciting the pledge or chanting "USA" does not make you a patriot.
Starting a council meeting with prayer or silence won’t help make the meeting or fake commissioners perform any better. I’d suggest they spend beginning of meetings reviewing Robert’s Rules of Order and Reviewing the Home Rule Charter ….and turning their microphones on…..they have demonstrated that the don’t understand Robert’s Rules or HRC, and their
responsibility to speak clearly with their mics on.
Matthew 6:1-8
New International Version
Giving to the Needy
6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/01/28/satanists-give-prayer-phoenix-city-council-meeting/79486460/
What a waste of tax payer’s time! Who wants to watch the Commissioners pray?! I don’t! I don’t care! Pray on your own time, not mine! Republicans literally have no agenda except to try and bring their churchy BS back into politics. And a moment of silence? For what?! A moment of silence was for deaths and tragedy. Now we have to have one at every meeting. This is a joke and Tara Zrinski is the only one who is logical and grounded! Separation of church and state people!!! Remember that?!
Tara is a Universalist and thus all religions and none have validity and deserve respect. Council are fools and this really proves it beyond a doubt. You cannot petition the Lord with prayer..Jim Morrison/Doors.
I should get a group of my friends & neighbors together for the next council meeting to pray for a new administration and county council. Because that’s the most unprofessional s%@#-show circus I’ve ever seen. It’s been said that the fish rots from the head, so prayers are definitely needed.
Zirinski's speech was a virtue signaling prayer in and of itself. She acts like she is holier than thou. Glad she is off council.
Speaking of Ron Angle, where is he when we so desperately need him here in Northampton County? Too old to come out of retirement?
A fallacy. Read your history, bonehead.
Zyrinski is a hypocrite, and not anything but a loudmouth bully type. She speaks out of both sides of her mouth. She condemns the voting machine, and blurts out how she will investigate first thing as the county controller…yet she voted to buy them …does she even know what a controller does? Budget meetings, grants, Gracedale funding…..ask this soon to be controller what she really understands
The will of the people be done. Democracy sucks but... name me a form of government that is better? Majority rule is a form of tyranny but it's the best we got to work with as the grand experiment continues for now.
Everyone is missing the point here. It’s not about loyalty to God or the State. Theologically it is a warning not to worship craven images. Zirinski may be contemplating putting her “image” on the proverbial coin ( or her next campaign brochure or campaign button). She obviously desires the next office to run for. She is a “craven image” and most probably “a near occasion of sin”. She is a living example from the Baltimore Catechism that warns us of impending evil. Pay attention ye of little faith !
Ron Angle, his power drills, his fertilizer, his cigars, his suspenders, and his opinions are not needed with this group……but wait, maybe he does fit in?
What a BS post. Who cares about Ron Angle, he’s a real piece of work. Trump like. Also, there should be no pre-meeting prayer, ever! If they want a pre-meeting prayer then go the hell to your church, synagogue, and other place to worship your fake faith.Just for reference the whole world would be better off if no religions existed, we would be more humane to each other.
We need a man like Ron Angle to help make Northampton County great again. Hopefully get us up to Lehigh's level.
You need help, buddy.
Establishment Clause
The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion.
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