First Amendment Suspended for 9/11 Memorial Service: Wrong, but Understandable

You've probably heard or read it by now: There won't be any public expressions of faith, like prayer, at tomorrow's 9/11 Memorial Service in New York City. Mayor Bloomberg said so.

Religious People: 'Everybody Knows' What They're Like

Can't say that I blame Mayor Bloomberg, in a way:

• He's mayor of an important American city
• The 9/11 Memorial Service is a high-profile event
• Lots of folks will be watching
• There's no sense in encouraging that kind to hang around
  • What would the neighbors think?

Besides, 'everybody knows' what people with religious beliefs are like:


(ArizonaLincoln (talk), via Wikipedia, used w/o permission)

I think Mayor Bloomberg's gag order on public expression of faith was wrong. But then, I'm one of those people. You know: the sort with religious beliefs. 'Everybody' knows what they're like. All the 'right sort' in Manhattan, anyway: apparently.¹

Since the mayor suspended the First Amendment for the 9/11 Memorial Service, some of the rabble went and arranged for an off-site prayer event. (CNA) I hope they don't offend the delicate sensibilities of their 'betters.'

Reality Check: Not All Christians are Dolts

Not all folks with religious beliefs:

• Hate
  • Jews
  • Homosexuals
  • Commies
  • Anybody who dresses funny
• Assume that
  • God hates
    • Jews
    • Homosexuals
    • Commies
    • Anybody who dresses funny
  • Science is bad
  • Every word of the Bible is literally true
    • Just like 'Pastor Bombast' says

I'll grant that the religious beliefs of some folks are on a continuum with 'amusingly odd' at one end, and 'downright dangerous' at the other. The 9/11 Memorial Service marks the 10th anniversary of an example of religious beliefs gone horribly wrong. I'll get back to that.

But not all Christians are like Phelps' little band. And not all of us think Bishop Ussher was right.

Since I'm a Catholic, there are some things I must do, and some that I must not. That may sound awfully restrictive, but I think it makes sense:

• "Evolution, Space Aliens, and Two Millennia of Dealing With People"
  (July 5, 2011)
• "I Worship a Jew"
  (April 3, 2011)
• "Hating People? Not an Option"
  (December 9, 2010)
• "Is the Church For Capitalism? Yes: and No"
  (March 13, 2010)
• "The Catholic Church and Homosexuals: Harsh and Soft, Judgmental and Understanding"
  (March 13, 2009)

Religious Nut Cases: It's Not Always the Other Guys

Muslim crazies killed about 3,000 people in New York City on 9/11/2001: but it's not just 'those Muslims' who sometimes go crazy:

• "Michael Brae, a Dead Body, Freud, and Prayer"
  (November 24, 2010)
• "Crowbar for Christ in Colorado?"
  (October 7, 2010)
• "Beach Killer Joseph Burgess: A Case of Horribly Warped Christianity"
  (July 24, 2009)

Does this mean that religion is bad? I don't think so.

Fred "God Hates Jews" Phelps isn't a typical religious leader. He's not, in my opinion, even a typical American Protestant. His brand of faith contributed to my conversion to Catholicism, and that's another topic.

It's hard to shake the impression that Mayor Bloomberg, and others in America's dominant culture, assume that a handful of crazies are typical of all America's Christians. It's like assuming that all liberals are pot-smoking vegetarians; or that all conservatives look like Boss Tweed in a Thomas Nast cartoon.

Reality is more complex than those stereotypes. Yet another topic.

The Catholic Church: Intolerant? Satanic?

In a way, I'm glad that Mayor Bloomberg banned all religious expression at the 9/11 Memorial Service. I think excluding so many Americans, he made it easier for some Christians to organize an alternative service.

If he'd singled out Catholics? Some of America's Protestants would probably recognize that there was a problem. But there's a little active distrust of Catholicism in America. And a whole lot of ignorance.

At least some of America's establishment assume that the Catholic Church is deliberately obdurate about sexuality. Some zealots lump the Catholic Church in with 'Muslims and other Satanic cults.' I think these misunderstandings are related to two qualities of the Church, that we're:

• Ancient
• Deal with reality
  • Not what some contemporary culture's leaders want to believe

And that's - yet again another topic.²

Related posts:

• Religious beliefs, real and imagined
  • "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
    (September 2, 2011)
    Particularly
    • The Establishment Clause, and Fear of Religious People
    • 'Stupid Religious People,' Assumptions, and Fear
    • Not-So-Stupid Religious People
  • "'Legislating Morality' - My Take"
    (June 28, 2011)
  • "Apocalypse Whenever"
    (June 14, 2011)
  • "Uncertainty, 'Being Religious,' and This Catholic"
    (February 12, 2011)
  • "Science vs. Religion: the Same Tired Old Line"
    (June 5, 2010)
• Emotion and Reason
  • "Reason, Emotion, and
    'Take These Son-of-a-Bitches Out' "
    (September 6, 2011)
  • "Loving Neighbors: Even the One Who Stole Our Gospel Book"
    (September 4, 2011)
  • "Anger, Hate, Love, Prayer and Trashing a Maywood, California, Catholic School"
    (May 26, 2010)
  • "Hating People? Not an Option"
    (December 9, 2010)
  • "Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, the War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
    (December 23, 2008)
• Religious freedom
  • "New York Times Editor, Religion, and Politics: Benign But Clueless"
    (September 1, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Factual Errors, Assumptions, and Some Guy With a Blog
    • Space Aliens, Religious Beliefs, and The New York Times
    • Religion, The New York Times, and Getting a Grip
    • "Death Cookie," "God Hates You," and a Professor
  • "Catholic Teachings: Not Fashionable"
    (June 7, 2011)
  • "Pakistani Archbishop, Florida Book-Burner, and Living with Differences"
    (April 27, 2011)
  • "Religious Freedom, Niemöller, and Muslims in America"
    (April 7, 2011)
  • "Freedom of Religion, or Freedom From Religion?"
    (June 1, 2009)

The 10th anniversary of 9/11, more posts:

• "The War on Terror: 9/11/2001 - 9/11/2011"
  (September 11, 2011)

In the news:

• "Lack of clergy at Sept. 11 memorial prompts separate prayer event"
  Kevin J. Jones, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (September 10, 2011)
  

Background:

• Emotions, by themselves, aren't good or bad
  • What matters is what we decide
    • Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1771-1775
• Anger as a desire for revenge is a bad idea
  • Matthew 5:21-22
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2302
• Imposing restitution "to correct vices and maintain justice" is praiseworthy
  • St. Thomas Aquinas
• Commandments boil down to 'Love God, love your neighbor'
  • Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31
  • Everybody is our neighbor
    • Matthew 5:43-44
    • Mark 12:28-31
    • Luke 10:25-30
    • Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1825

---

¹ As noted in "Related posts," a recent editorial in The New York Times renewed that paper's dedication to a drearily familiar view:

• "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
  (September 2, 2011)
  Particularly
  • The Establishment Clause, and Fear of Religious People

² I run into colorful folks now and then:

• "'Death Cookie' Comic: Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time?"
  (March 5, 2010)
• "'Catholics and Muslims along with the fake Jews all are Satanic Cults' - Who Knew?"
  (April 2, 2009)
• ""Get f****d, Catholic Church" - It Comes With the Territory"
  (March 18, 2009)