A plague on this House, at any rate.
Via Atrios—
Recognizing the public need for fasting and prayer in order to secure the blessings and protection of Providence for the people of the United States and our Armed Forces during the conflict in Iraq and under the threat of terrorism at home.
WHEREAS the United States is currently engaged in a war on terrorism in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001;
WHEREAS the Armed Forces of the United States are currently engaged in a campaign to disarm the regime of Saddam Hussein and liberate the people of Iraq;
WHEREAS, on June 1, 1774, the Virginia House of Burgesses called for a day of fasting and prayer as an expression of solidarity with the people of Boston who were under siege by the enemy;
WHEREAS, on March 16, 1776, the Continental Congress, recognizing that the “Liberties of America are imminently endangered” and the need “to acknowledge the overruling Providence of God,” called for a day of “Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer”;
WHEREAS, on June 28, 1787, during the debate of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin, convinced of God’s intimate involvement in human affairs, implored the Congress to seek the assistance of Heaven in all its dealings;
WHEREAS, on March 30, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, at the bequest of the Senate, and himself recognizing the need of the Nation to humble itself before God in repentance for its national sins, proclaimed a day of fasting, prayer and humiliation;
WHEREAS all of the various faiths of the people of the United States have recognized, in our religious traditions, the need for fasting and humble supplication before Providence;
WHEREAS humility, fasting, and prayer in times of danger have long been rooted in our essential national convictions and have been a means of producing unity and solidarity among all the diverse people of this Nation as well as procuring the enduring grace and benevolence of God;
WHEREAS, through prayer, fasting, and self-reflection, we may better recognize our own faults and shortcomings and submit to the wisdom and love of God in order that we may have guidance and strength in those daily actions and decisions we must take; and
WHEREAS dangers and threats to our Nation persist and, in this time of peril, it is appropriate that the people of the United States, leaders and citizens alike, seek guidance, strength, and resolve through prayer and fasting: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should issue a proclamation—
- designating a day for humility, prayer, and fasting for all people of the United States; and
- calling on all people of the United States—
- A) to observe the day as a time of prayer and fasting;
- B) to seek guidance from God to achieve a greater understanding of our own failings and to learn how we can do better in our everyday activities; and
- C) to gain resolve in meeting the challenges that confront our Nation.
—House Resolution 153, referred to the Committee on Government Reform by Todd Akin (R-MO).
Growing increasingly wrathful, God continued: “Can’t you people see? What are you, morons? There are a ton of different religious traditions out there, and different cultures worship Me in different ways. But the basic message is always the same: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism… every religious belief system under the sun, they all say you’re supposed to love your neighbors, folks! It’s not that hard a concept to grasp.
“Why would you think I’d want anything else? Humans don’t need religion or God as an excuse to kill each other—you’ve been doing that without any help from Me since you were freaking apes!” God said. “The whole point of believing in God is to have a higher standard of behavior. How obvious can you get?
“I’m talking to all of you, here!” continued God, His voice rising to a shout. “Do you hear Me? I don’t want you to kill anybody. I’m against it, across the board. How many times do I have to say it? Don’t kill each other anymore—ever! I’m fucking serious!”
Upon completing His outburst, God fell silent, standing quietly at the podium for several moments. Then, witnesses reported, God’s shoulders began to shake, and He wept.
—“God Angrily Clarifies ‘Don’t Kill’ Rule,” The Onion, 26 September 2001.
I want my country back!
I don’t want to listen to fundamentalist preachers anymore!
—Howard Dean, 15 March 2003.
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This man deserves to be president.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth and rather more of a business conservative than I'd prefer. But still ...
We'll see, eh?
I should probably note that I've still got a fencepost lodged in my posterior; it's way too soon to say anything about voting for anybody yet. (For president, anyway.) --So my quoting Dean in this context should be read as mere admiration for somebody finally saying something I desperately needed to here in this context, and not a fully fledged endorsement for his candidacy.
(Of course, sometimes saying one simple thing one desperately needs to hear is enough. "I will cut your taxes," said Bush, and hey presto! --But that's me being bleak and mean again, which I promised the cats I wouldn't do. So.)