Month: May 2006

Day of Prayer quotes

Here’s some interesting information on the National Day of Prayer:
In the National Day of Prayer School Events Guide available on the National Day of Prayer Task Force’s website, they argue for the constitutionality and need for a National Day of Prayer, claiming that the “Founding Fathers did not mean for our government to be separated from our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.
Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers seems to disagree. In 1808 in response to national days of prayer, Jefferson wrote “Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands, where the Constitution has deposited it.”
In 1813, president James Madison proclaimed a day of prayer; but he later decided that National Days of Prayer were inappropriate, because “they seem[ed] to imply and certainly nourish the erroneous idea of a national religion”.
– From Wikipedia

Colbert at the White House Correspondants dinner

Stephen Colbert at White House

Stephen Colbert roasted the president and his staff last week at the White House Correspondant’s Dinner.
Here’s what one blogger wrote about it:

Bush glowered. Laura looked confused. Scott McClellan was like a dead deer caught in the headlights. Many of the journalists, celebs, ranking generals and other ‘notables’ at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner laughed openly, albeit uncomfortably, as Stephen Colbert of “The Colbert Report” just made himself about 500 times more of a national treasure and cemented himself as one of the most fearless satirists of this generation (instantly outpacing Jon Stewart, who, you get the feeling, wouldn’t have had the nerve to go as far as Colbert did) by way of a savage and hilarious roast/takedown of President Bush, who was seated not eight feet away.

It’s hillarious. If you haven’t seen it or hear it, do so.

Watch on Google Video

National Day of Prayer


So today is the National Day of Prayer.
They held an event at the courthouse in Waxahachie today and several local pastors and a few county employees gave prayers for various groups of people.
The media is normally one of the specific groups that are recommended to be prayed for, but we only got a line or so today.
It was interesting, “We pray for the media. They are the spokesperson’s of our day. I pray that they communicate the truth and not criticism and debate.”
Now don’t get me wrong, as a member of the media I appreciate any prayers we can get. But I’ve always thought the role of the media is to be critical. That doesn’t mean hateful. That doesn’t mean slanderous. But I feel we should be critical. What do you think? Should the media just stand by and only report what we’re told? Or should we be leary of everything and examine everything and look for every side of every story to reveal the truth?
Shouldn’t a healthy media spur and encourage debate?
If there was no debate, that would mean the media is simply feeding one side of a story and everyone is accepting it.
Or is that just me?