ECSB Member Bergosh Criticizes Free Religious Expression, calls it Rude and Disrespectful

My thoughts:  FIrst, I don't just want to be welcomed to give an invocation prayer (as ANYONE should be).  I want school-sponsored prayer to END.  But if it's happening, what's wrong with someone praying in their own way, chanting quietly or sitting on a prayer rug during the time set aside for prayer at a government meeting?  And BTW, the meeting hasn't even been called to order!

I'd say that a publicly led prayer is MUCH more distracting.  Did you hear the hoots, hollers and amens coming from the audience?  It was like church - and you have to do it their way.  Why not just get to work, instead of using our government bodies to endorse one particular religion, eschewing others?   

Of course, there's an easy way to solve any question of propriety.  Out of respect for ALL religions - which we know they don't have - the ECSB could instituted a moment of silence and stop asking the audience to pray one particular way - some against their conscience.

My chant was 'incomprehensible gibberish' because it was not loud enough to be heard except by those nearest me.  It went like this:  "hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare, hare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare".  It helped me avoid hearing the biased prayer of the speaker and left me feeling quite centered and at peace.  And I didn't lose my seat by leaving the room (!), as was suggested. 

Once again, Mr Bergosh proves my point - that prayer is welcome at ECSB meetings ONLY when it takes a Christian form or something close to it.  OF COURSE I want more attention to the illegal endorsement of only ONE type of religion by our local boards.  Official prayers just don't belong in our schools or our government.  We are not a theocracy.  Such privilege represents the unconstitutional establishment of religion in America.  This says nothing of religious tests, which are at play for anyone asking to deliver the ECSB invocation.  It needs to stop.

**Also of note:  Mr Bergosh stepped out of the room during my Public Forum comments.  I guess he didn't want to hear someone express themselves at a public meeting either, as is his job. Way to respect your office, dude.

From his Blog:

So as we were about to begin the invocation prior to a very heavy school board meeting,  one of the individuals in the front row took a prayer mat, set it right next to the podium, and began mumbling and chanting incomprehensible gibberish as our invited pastor was trying to give a really heartfelt Christian invocation.

The assembled guests in the front row were visibly impacted by this spectacle.

(A part of me was surprised he didn’t attempt to light an incense candle start beating a drum or tambourine.)

Talk about a distraction! 

I was trying to listen carefully to what the minister was saying, but my attention was diverted by this stunt being performed rudely at the same time as the invocation.  And the chanting was loud enough that I could hear  in up on the dais, I could just imagine the nuisance level the poor minister had to deal with as he tried to deliver his prayer while that chanting and grunting was going on in his ear.

This guy claims he simply wants to be included in our invocation rotation, and that he will be respectful.

But his actions speak louder than his words as this is two months running where he himself has been disrespectful.

I just wonder what a guy like this is really after….. Wait a minute, I got it.  Attention, that’s what he’s after.