Inga Barks: Let them pray!
| Friday, Sep 11 2009 03:00 PM
Last Updated Friday, Sep 11 2009 03:00 PM
It's not a shocker to any God-fearing American that religious bigotry exists. As kids, classmates mocked us for our beliefs. Those classmates grew up to join organizations that love to bully Christians.
Why? I don't know. I suspect that in ridding us of God, man makes himself the higher power. If man is the higher power, he makes the rules! It's a pretty cool scam, tried and tried again since Lucifer said "I could be God. How hard can it be?"
How do these grown-up bullies accomplish their plan? Just like they did on the playground. One of us at a time.
Take the city of Tehachapi, where, like many American cities, prayer is said before council meetings. In August, Tehachapi Councilman Stan Beckham suggested the invocation might be a "liability."
Soon after, and quite coincidentally, the Freedom From Religion organization - all the way from Wisconsin - sent a letter to the council informing it that invocations violate the Constitution and must cease immediately.
The group didn't defend its claim, just stated it as fact.
Councilman Beckham assured me he had nothing to do with this religious bigotry. I'll leave that to his voters. I'd rather talk about why prayer to the biblical God is worth defending, whether you believe in Him or not.
Let's start with the founders, whose faith (or lack of) many people debate. I say it doesn't matter because in the end, they all agreed to declare our rights a gift from the Creator. If there is no Creator, from where do our rights come?
It was upon their declaration that they based our Constitution. An invocation is more than a religious statement. It is a reminder to the public (believers and no) that their rights don't come from man. It's a reminder to our elected officials that they aren't empowered to take our rights away.
The best thing that could happen for freedom in America is for cities like Tehachapi to stand up to the bullies once and for all! Officials should boldly defend freedom and the Constitution! It's a vow they took on a bible when they swore in!
As for lawsuits? Tehachapi, have no fear. Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, has already drafted a letter in your defense and will represent you for free.
The California Republican Assembly has vowed support, and the majority of those who spoke at this week's council meeting want to keep the invocation.
One last word of encouragement to people of all beliefs who fear discrimination from bullying atheist organizations: my good friend Professor Kevin Lewis from Biola University once told me there's no reason to fear bigoted atheists. Atheists believe they are the result of randomly clumped particles. The concept of "rights" is meaningless in their world view. So why should their opinion matter?
But thanks to the freedoms given to ALL by the Creator, acknowledged by our declaration, fleshed out in our Constitution, and agreed upon by our founders, even those who believe in randomly clumped particles have rights.
Inga Barks, who hosts a talk show on AM 1180 KERN, is one of four conservative community columnists whose work appears here every Saturday. These are the opinions of Barks, not necessarily The Californian's. You can e-mail her at ibarks@ bakersfield.com. Next week: Ric Llewellyn.
