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[bryant]

One of the things that happens during wars is that we pass resolutions supporting our troops and calling for various forms of recognition; and this is a good thing. For example, the Massachusetts House carefully passed a resolution that supported the troops but which did not endorse the war. It can be done. And prayers are non-denominational.

On the other hand, it can go too far. Prayer is one thing, but fasting — that signifies a particular type of religious activity. It’s not a type that I condemn; self-deprivation for religious purposes has a long and respectable history. Bush’s brand of fundamentalism is one example, but so is the Sufi tradition.

The commonality, though, is the place such religions take in one’s everyday life. To fast for one’s religion signifies that even the basic functions of existence are less important than one’s god. I believe that it is inappropriate to call upon Americans to hold their god in that place of supremacy over their lives; we are a free country, and one aspect of that freedom is the freedom to choose precisely what of our wills we subjugate to a higher power.

By passing this resolution, our Congress has indicated that they believe Americans should take a very specific action in order to properly honor their god. It is an action which represents a kind of surrender. I think that’s a matter of personal choice: to demand it is, simply, wrong.

Comments

See, now I would have said the opposite

[dtm]

So calling for prayer is nondenominational, but calling for fasting is establishment of religion? Would a call for a "Hunger Strike for Peace" be expected to come only from a religious leader?

This strikes me as backwards, though admittedly having the government call for a day of prayer and humility makes me want to quote Matthew 6:16 loudly from the rooftops.

Also, I'm interested that it was in the Senate (which has always seemed slightly slower in the rush to war than the house) that the fasting bit was added. Although admittedly fasting is often used as sign of devotion, and especially when asking for divine inspiration or guidance, fasting is also used as an oblation or sign of contrition. I know I'm dreaming, but I hold out hope that somewhere, some Senator thinks that America needs to think about her sins.

In the spirit of nit-picky political shadenfreude, I am also kind of hoping that Bush declares a Sunday for this day of fasting, just to watch it blow up in his face from all sides. (Sundays, even during Lent or Advent, are most emphatically not fast days among those Christian denominations that keep fast days. A Sunday is always a feast day, even to the point of bumping most feast days tied to specific dates to the following Monday.)