Fwd: Prayer

---------------------- Forwarded by Judy Hernandez/HOU/ECT on 08/04/2000
08:56 AM ---------------------------

Angela Barnett
08/04/2000 05:54 AM
To: Regina Blackshear/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Angela Gill/NA/Enron@Enron, Sandra R
McNichols/HOU/ECT@ECT, Leslie Smith/HOU/ECT@ECT, Judy Hernandez/HOU/ECT@ECT,
Pamela Mitchell/HOU/ECT@ECT, Nikki Johnson/NA/Enron@Enron, Warren
Perry/Corp/Enron@Enron, Derick Jones/Corp/Enron@Enron, Diane
Salcido/Corp/Enron@Enron, Jorge Olivares/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Eve
Puckett/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Judy Walters/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc:
Subject: Fwd: Prayer

---------------------- Forwarded by Angela Barnett/HOU/ECT on 08/04/2000
05:52 AM ---------------------------

Mary Westbrook <kittenkid_65@yahoo.com< on 08/04/2000 05:43:32 AM
To: Mabel Abrasley <mabel@abrasley.com<
cc:
Subject: Fwd: Prayer

Note: forwarded message attached.

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From: Kttn0965@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 21:13:57 EDT
Subject: Prayer
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< <
< < Some people, it seems, get offended way too easily.
< < I mean, isn't that
< < what all
< < < this prayer hullabaloo is all about - people
< < getting offended? Those of
< < us in
< < < the majority are always tippy-toeing around,
< < trying to make sure we don't
< < step
< < < on the toes or hurt the feelings of the humorless.
< < And you can bet
< < there's a
< < < lawyer standing on every corner making sure we
< < don't. Take this prayer
< < deal.
< < < It's absolutely ridiculous. Some atheist goes to
< < a high school football
< < game,
< < < hears a kid say a short prayer before the game and
< < gets offended. So he
< < hires a
< < < lawyer and goes to court and asks somebody to pay
< < him a whole bunch of
< < money for
< < < all the damage done to him. You would have
< < thought the kid kicked him in
< < the
< < < crotch. Damaged for life by a 30-second prayer?
< < Am I missing something
< < here?
< < <
< < < I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going
< < to sue somebody for
< < singing a
< < < Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with
< < Darwin, but I didn't go out
< < and
< < < hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught
< < his theory of evolution.
< < Life,
< < < liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be
< < endangered because
< < someone says
< < < a 30-second prayer before a football game. So
< < what's the big deal? It's
< < not
< < < like somebody is up there reading the entire book
< < of Acts. They're just
< < talking
< < < to a God they believe in and asking him to grant
< < safety to the players on
< < the
< < < field and the fans going home from the game.
< < <
< < < "But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue.
< < Yes, and this is the
< < United
< < < States of America, a country founded on Christian
< < principles. And we are
< < in the
< < < Bible Belt. According to our very own phone book,
< < Christian churches
< < outnumber
< < < all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you
< < expect - somebody
< < chanting
< < < Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in
< < Jerusalem, I would expect
< < to hear
< < < a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in
< < Baghdad, I would expect to
< < hear
< < < a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping-pong match
< < in China, I would expect
< < to
< < < hear someone pray to Buddha.
< < <
< < < And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me
< < one bit. When in
< < Rome...
< < < "But what about the atheists?" is another
< < argument. What about them?
< < Nobody is
< < < asking them to be baptized. We're not going to
< < pass the collection plate.
< < Just
< < < humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too
< < much, bring a Walkman or a
< < pair of
< < < ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the
< < concession stand. .. Call your
< < < lawyer.
< < <
< < < Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One
< < or two will tell
< < thousands
< < < what they can and cannot do. I don't think a
< < < short prayer at a football game is going to shake
< < the world's
< < foundations. Nor
< < < do I believe that not praying will result in more
< < serious injuries on the
< < field
< < < or more fatal car crashes after the game. In
< < fact, I'm not so sure God
< < would
< < < even be at all these games if he didn't have to
< < be. That's just one of
< < the
< < < downsides of omnipresence. If God really liked
< < sports, the Russians would
< < never
< < < have won a single gold medal, New York would never
< < play in a World Series
< < and
< < < Deion Sanders' toe would be healed by now.
< < <
< < < Christians are just sick and tired of turning the
< < other cheek while our
< < courts
< < < strip us of all our rights. Our parents and
< < grandparents taught us to
< < pray
< < < before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our
< < Bible tells us just to
< < pray
< < < without ceasing. Now a handful of people and
< < their lawyers are telling us
< < to
< < < cease praying. God, help us.
< < <
< < < And if that last sentence offends
< < you-well............just sue me.
< < <
< < <
< < <
< <
< <
< <