See, I think most people, when they consider having a minister come in and do an invocation for a legislative body, they think of a quick prayer, asking for wisdom and blessings and so forth. And while there are some who might consider that an uncomfortable mingling of religion and politics, most folks would consider that sort of thing relatively harmless, and that church-state-separation types are simply overly sensitive and picky.
But, see, that's not always the case. Take this particular pastor in front of the faithful assembled House of Representatives of Oklahoma, where we end up getting a 15 minute sermon on the Fundamentalist Christian History of the Constitution, God was the blessing force behind everything the nation did until 50 years ago, how the separation of Church and State is a pernicious myth for which we'll all be punished, and how Katrina destroyed New Orleans because of God's wrath over gays.
No sign the speaker of the house, let alone his sponsor, or even anyone else in the chamber is uncomfortable with this.
And then he gives a quick prayer for blessings, and exits to applause.
And that's why folks looking for the separation of church and state really get worked up over these sorts of invocations. Because that sort of crap really has no place in a state legislature, which is there to represent all the people, not just the ones that the preacher-of-the-week chooses to laud as Good Christians. #ddtb
You certainly make some good points here. The separation of Church and State comes with so many grey areas.