Post by caseagainstfaith on Sept 3, 2011 8:56:01 GMT -5
When the Sept. 11 memorial is dedicated with a solemn ceremony of remembrance at ground zero this year, the names of the 2,983 deceased will be read by victims' families interspersed with remarks from city officials and politicians, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and President Barack Obama. But some Christian religious leaders complain that other important voices will not be heard.
A growing group of mostly conservative Christian leaders say organizers have shut out clergy and formal prayers from this year's annual 9/11 observance, which has taken on additional significance as the 10th anniversary of the attacks approaches and the long-awaited memorial opens.
In addition to Land, influential conservative Christian groups, including the American Family Association, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the Family Research Council, have called on Bloomberg to change course, as has the televangelist Rev. Pat Robertson.
"I'm stunned. This event affected the whole psyche and soul of the country, and you are going to have no prayer? What's a memorial service if you are going to leave God out of it completely? It seems kind of hollow," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, which has sent "action alerts" to its 2.3 million subscribers urging them to write to Bloomberg to protest the ceremony lineup.
The Family Research Council, led by Tony Perkins, has also been sending notices to its base. Since launching a petition last week that says the clergy exclusion is "offensive to the families of victims" and "strangely overlooks the role that faith played in bringing healing to countless lives," the group has gathered more than 53,000 signatures.
Despite objections, Bloomberg's office has said it won't change the 9/11 plans.
"The ceremony was designed in coordination with 9/11 families with a mixture of readings that are spiritual, historical and personal in nature. It has been widely supported for the past 10 years and rather than have disagreements over which religious leaders participate we would like to keep the focus of our commemoration ceremony on the family members of those who died. This year's six moments of silence allow every individual a time for personal and religious introspection," Evelyn Erskine, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said in an email.
Among those calling for formal religious representation, there are differing views on which clergy should be invited. Land of the Southern Baptist Convention said there should be a "Catholic priest, Protestant minister, rabbi and imam." Wildmon said that in a country where "the Christian religion is dominant in terms of numbers, a Catholic or Protestant would be appropriate." In a blog post, Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, wrote that all religious representatives should take part as long as there is "an invocation on behalf of nonreligious people."
A growing group of mostly conservative Christian leaders say organizers have shut out clergy and formal prayers from this year's annual 9/11 observance, which has taken on additional significance as the 10th anniversary of the attacks approaches and the long-awaited memorial opens.
In addition to Land, influential conservative Christian groups, including the American Family Association, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the Family Research Council, have called on Bloomberg to change course, as has the televangelist Rev. Pat Robertson.
"I'm stunned. This event affected the whole psyche and soul of the country, and you are going to have no prayer? What's a memorial service if you are going to leave God out of it completely? It seems kind of hollow," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, which has sent "action alerts" to its 2.3 million subscribers urging them to write to Bloomberg to protest the ceremony lineup.
The Family Research Council, led by Tony Perkins, has also been sending notices to its base. Since launching a petition last week that says the clergy exclusion is "offensive to the families of victims" and "strangely overlooks the role that faith played in bringing healing to countless lives," the group has gathered more than 53,000 signatures.
Despite objections, Bloomberg's office has said it won't change the 9/11 plans.
"The ceremony was designed in coordination with 9/11 families with a mixture of readings that are spiritual, historical and personal in nature. It has been widely supported for the past 10 years and rather than have disagreements over which religious leaders participate we would like to keep the focus of our commemoration ceremony on the family members of those who died. This year's six moments of silence allow every individual a time for personal and religious introspection," Evelyn Erskine, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said in an email.
Among those calling for formal religious representation, there are differing views on which clergy should be invited. Land of the Southern Baptist Convention said there should be a "Catholic priest, Protestant minister, rabbi and imam." Wildmon said that in a country where "the Christian religion is dominant in terms of numbers, a Catholic or Protestant would be appropriate." In a blog post, Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, wrote that all religious representatives should take part as long as there is "an invocation on behalf of nonreligious people."
source - www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/02/911-memorial-ceremony-clergy-ban_n_945849.html
I agree with Bloomberg on this one. He may get flamed and burned for his decision but in the end it is the correct decision imo.
