This Week in God

May 6, 2006

First up from the [tag]God[/tag] machine this week is a follow-up story about the annual National Day of Prayer “holiday,” on which I had an item on Thursday, and the religious right’s idea about how best to promote the event.

NEXTEL CUP Driver Kenny Wallace is scheduled to drive the National Day of Prayer car #78 sponsored by Furniture Row for the [tag]NASCAR[/tag] NEXTEL CUP race at Talladega Superspeedway.The [tag]National Day of Prayer[/tag] tradition predates the founding of the United States of America when the Continental Congress issued a proclamation setting aside a day of prayer in 1775. In 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

In commemoration of the day, which falls on Thursday, May 4th, the #78 Furniture Row Chevy Monte Carlo CUP car will feature a new red, white and blue paint scheme, created by Sam Bass Design, showcasing the National Day of Prayer logo for Talladega on April 30. Click here for a full-page image of the car.

Yes, we’re dealing with an event that not only mixes church and state, but also, inexplicably, mixes church, state, and racecar driving. Wow.

Next up from the God machine is a very provocative line on [tag]creationism[/tag] from an unexpected source (thanks to reader M.B. for the tip).

Believing that God created the universe in six days is a form of superstitious [tag]paganism[/tag], the [tag]Vatican[/tag] [tag]astronomer[/tag] Guy Consolmagno claimed yesterday.

Brother Consolmagno, who works in a Vatican observatory in Arizona and as curator of the Vatican meteorite collection in Italy, said a “destructive myth” had developed in modern society that religion and science were competing ideologies.

He described creationism, whose supporters want it taught in schools alongside evolution, as a “kind of paganism” because it harked back to the days of “nature gods” who were responsible for natural events.

This follows a similar item from January in which the Vatican newspaper published an article saying “[tag]intelligent design[/tag]” is not science and reported that the Vatican’s chief astronomer, the Rev. George Coyne, said “intelligent design” had no place in school classrooms. A month later, Italian biologist Fiorenzo Facchini scolded intelligent design advocates for “pretending to do science” in the same official Vatican newspaper.

For a church that forced [tag]Galileo[/tag] to recant his beliefs under the threat of torture during the inquisition of the early 17th century, it’s a welcome and progressive attitude on modern biology and biblical literalism, isn’t it?

Yes, we’re dealing with an event that not only mixes church and state, but also, inexplicably, mixes church, state, and racecar driving. Wow.

The most annoying thing about that, is you know it probably was thought up by some prep-school Republican who is trying to cynically promote this idea of America’s Gilded NASCAR class. It’s totally patronizing to the people it’s supposed to represent, and everyone else who it’s supposed to convince.

All these rich republicans who aren’t even religious are totally patronizing all these middle-class suburban people from out west.

  • For a church that forced Galileo to recant his beliefs under the threat of torture during the inquisition of the early 17th century, it’s a welcome and progressive attitude on modern biology and biblical literalism, isn’t it?

    Yeah, but basically everyone was doing stuff like that for trifling reasons up to the 17th century.

    Any Catholic priest you meet would tell you that faith healers & things like that are fake. I think they see someone who doesn’t believe in not so much as an unfaithful person, but rather as a person who is refusing to believe in “false prophets” and the like.

    Incidentally, I hear Stephen Colbert is Catholic. I don’t think that’s gotten much play over here.

  • I mean, really, what kind of pious church-going type says “Hey! I’ve got a great idea! Let’s ask someone to make a National Day of Prayer car at NASCAR!” Strikes me as really odd and unusual.

  • “Kenny Wallace is scheduled to drive the National Day of Prayer car sponsored by” …

    The marriage of sports, religion and the market place.

    Why not bring out the hidden connection…subverting democracy by using icons of popular culture in a misleading way to covertly restructure government in favor of corporate interests.

    Kenny Wallace is scheduled to drive the National Day of Prayer car sponsored by …..the Multinational Conglomerates Looting America.

  • For a church that forced Galileo to recant his beliefs under the threat of torture during the inquisition of the early 17th century, it’s a welcome and progressive attitude on modern biology and biblical literalism, isn’t it?

    When I read this article, my mind immediately jumped back to the story about NASA scientists getting gagged by political flacks. Is it really possible that the United States government keeps its astronomers on a shorter leash than the Catholic Church now?

  • The DNC should sponsor a big blue monster truck that transforms into a robot monster + breathes fire.

    Just kidding. But, I’m going to concede, maybe the National Day of Prayer Car could have been dreamed up by an authentically pious type. It’s possible.

  • I tried to pray but all the lines were busy. “Your prayer is important to us. Please stay on the line for our next available angel.” Maybe they need to go to the odd-even license plate method so heaven doesn’t get overloaded.

    Swan actually has a good idea there. The DNC should sponsor a NASCAR entry. Great publicity.

  • The late Pope, John Paul II, made few friends by saying that when religion and science disagree it is religion which must bend (he did “forgive” Galileo, albeit about 400 years too late). At least that’s more enlightened than Fundamentalism.

    I read recently that a Vatican cardinal is even suggesting that the use of condoms may be the “lesser of two evils” and therefore permissible. Before you get your hopes up regarding the Roman Catholic Church’s new enlightenment, however, it should be noted that this tentative argument regarding condoms applies ONLY to married hetero couples, where one of the partners has AIDs. The Church plans a “study” of whether such a couple might be allowed to employ condoms to prevent one partner giving AIDs to the other.

    The Church is mother to much of western painting, sculpture, architecture and music, but has a long way to go before “enlightened” can be applied to it, if indeed it ever can.

  • OK, about the National Day of Prayer. It is a fact that many of our Nascar Drivers are Christians, first of all. Do any of you know the Bible verse that was placed in Dale’s car on that fatal day in Daytona? Did any of you know that he even had one in his car?? Second of all, not all Republicans are rich. That is a Democratic misleading. I am a Republican, and I live on less than $30,000 per year, and I am the mother of 4 children (3 of which are teenagers), and I am happily married. Get off the soap box. It is about time that more people stood up for the Christian rights in America!!! I am personally proud of Nascar for doing the car. By the way, did any of you notice that there is a prayer said before every race, on air??? How many other sports do that???

    godsgirl

  • “It is about time that more people stood up for the Christian rights in America!!!”

    Sigh…

    Translation: “I want a nation of people just like me and we all worship the same god the same way. Religion and State should be the same. Sex and anything else we deem evil shall be banned hense forth.”

    Unfortunately, for you, most of the US (including many fundamental Christians) don’t see it that way.

    I’m almost in favor of putting all the theocracy lovers of various stripes into a place just to see how it would go. Probably your dream of a Christian nation would be torn asunder in a bloodbath of dogma and ignorance.

  • godsgirl (#8) asks: “By the way, did any of you notice that there is a prayer said before every race, on air??? How many other sports do that???”

    None that I know of, fortunately. What the Hell does prayer have to do with sports? I can see individuals, silently praying to Whomever, for victory, or the avoidance of injury, or that they might do their best.

    I can’t imagine any Deity worthy of the name giving a rat’s poop about anything so trivial as the outcome of a game or a NASCAR race. Our Founding Fathers (Deists) couldn’t imagine one poking around in Earthly affairs at all.

    The Roman gladiators, as they entered the arena of deadly combat for the amusement of bloodthirsty Roman citizens, bowed before the Emperor’s box and recited “Morituri salutamus” – “We, who are about to die, salute you [the Emperor]”. Should Republicans attempt to force such a “prayer” to the Regal Moron prior to all sporting events?

    godsgirl (#8) – talk about “get off the soapbox”. You should read Matthew 6:5-6:

    “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men….when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret….”

    If I were at all God-minded I’d pray that your children escape your overbearing presence before they, too, become like the hypocrites Matthew mentions. But they’re teenagers, so they probably already have.

  • Godsgirl Lori
    Why are you as “not rich” person choosing to be a republican?

    You earn $30,000 a year with four children. Are you worried about health care for your brood? What about jobs shipped overseas and wages depressed by “fair trade”. Do you worry about sending your kids to Iraq based on lies? What about the cost of education? The cost of gas? The cost of housing? Bush is shafting everyone except the ultra wealthy, and he pretends to be religious only to get your vote.

    If you are reading the Carpetbagger, perhaps you are ready to take a fresh look at Bush and the Republican party. We need all the help we can get to turn this country back to prosperity and justice for all.

  • godsgirl/Lori: I am a Christian. How are “Christian rights” not being “stood up for” in the USA? No one tells me I can’t attend whatever church I choose, can’t read my Bible, can’t pray, etc.

    We are all free in this country to practice whatever belief we have, which is what makes the USA so great. I don’t want anyone telling me what kind of religion I can or can’t practice or what church I can or can’t attend, just as you wouldn’t want someone telling you what religion you can’t or can’t practice or church you can or can’t attend.

    Those who whine about discrimination against religion in this country have no idea what they are talking about. One only needs to remember the story of the Muslim turned Christian in Afghanistan who was going to be killed, or people in China, who are not free to attend any kind of religious service, to realize how free we are in the US.

    Those who scream the loudest about this IMO are ones who wish to impose their beliefs on the rest of us. It just doesn’t work that way. People must come to faith freely, not have it forced on them.

  • I am so happy to hear that the Nascar races have a prayer before it. I was very concerned that they weren’t loving Christians. (I live so close to the Richmond Raceway that I can hear the cars as they go around the tract. I hope the fans know that this stupid race is using up alot of expensive gas for the joy of driving around a race track)
    I personally am so tired of hearing about religion. I could care less about anyones religion as long as they keep it private and out of the government.
    My personal beliefs are my own and nobodies business whether I worship a God or a tree. As a bumper sticker I saw recently said ” Born all right the first time”

  • Don’t be too surprised about the stance of the Catholic church. Not all Catholic clergy are head-in-the-sand types who would prefer a perpertual 17th century. The Vatican’s stance on science today (particularly biological and physical science) is not what it was in Galileo’s time. While their social policy is still stuck in the Dark Ages, at least Pope John Paul II attempted to change their science policy. In addition to the Galileo issue, that pope was also responsible for admitting the reality of evolution.

    How many Americans are aware that the Vatican hosts scientific conferences and actively participates in physics and astronomical research. There are two telescopes (one in Arizona, one outside Rome) that were built by and are operated by the Vatican. The Jesuits that operate these facilities are possibly the most pro-science members of any clergy that I’ve met. Brother Consolmagno and Father Coyne and many others are well-respected members of the scientific community and are very active in studying the Universe and bringing its wonders to the public.

  • “One only needs to remember the … people in China, who are not free to attend any kind of religious service…” – Hannah

    Not quite true. There are four state recognized religions in Communist China (The Middle Kingdom between Heaven and Earth). Catholic, Protestant, Muslim and Budhist.

    That’s it! No sects or internal divisions. The state picks the Bishops or equivalent leaders.

    Not exactly religious freedom. But than, there is less grounds for religious conflict either 😉

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