E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSHouse Speaker John Boehner, when asked about the way forward after Plan B went down to defeat, said, "God only knows."
Today, in the opening prayer at the start of the House session at noon ET, the House chaplain made a rare appeal to the heavens for compromise.
"May an imperfect compromise, when viewed from the perspective of our differences, not be undermined by a desire for political victory," House Chaplain Patrick Conroy implored.
Here's what he said in full:
"Let us pray. Eternal God, we give you thanks for giving us another day, a new year. The political struggles of the past year have revealed the divisions that exist in our nation. There are many American citizens who are angry, frustrated, and anxious for the future. This day is a day of history. Send your spirit upon the members of the people’s house. May an imperfect compromise when viewed from the perspective of our differences not be undermined by a desire for political victory. This is difficult for all. Give each member the grace and courage to forge a constructive solution for the greater good of the nation and all Americans. Help us to trust that no matter what, you will not abandon us. May all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory. Amen."
After Plan B, Boehner pointed at the president and the Senate to get something done. "Now, it is up to the president to work with Senator Reid on legislation to avert the fiscal cliff," he said then in a statement.
Now, it is up to Boehner whether he puts the bill, which passed the Senate 89-8, on the floor for a vote.
Leave a Comment:
Opinions are like arseholes...everybody's got one!
It's very sad and quite telling how repugnantly ignorant, demeaning and just plain mean period most of the people on here are that are commenting against Repulicans and against God and religion. Throughout history the repugnantly ignorant have always been the most prideful and sadly the most damaging to any society. This is a shame. Happy New Year and God bless America!
Oh #$%@# off.
So your god is impotent and needs to be propped up by our government?
I'm sorry to say, but I find it telling when appeals to God are made, in furtherance of a partisan agenda, or wrt disputes that humans have with one another, as they're quick to "oh God, please take MY SIDE and make them compromise with us, even as we hold the line and don't counter comprimise", while subtley suggesting "but it's the principle of right on our side, and there for they need to cave"... This also can provide a very different definition to the word comprimise then many other people might hold, where a give and take is involved on BOTH SIDES, neither getting all they want.
And yet, what would be the response to this? Lets set aside for a moment question of whether there is a God or not for a moment. Would it be the role of any benevolent being to "take sides" in human conflicts, play favorites, and make one side the victors in a given argument which exist,s because BOTH PARTIES have trouble comming together without growing ever more partisan? Leadership or authority, which isn't even handed and impartial becomes something else, and not altogether good by definition. Making "those people cave" to "our position" would be both self serving, and not necessarily consistent with the idea of free will for all, and good will towards all parties, however divided they are among themselves. The better part of wisdom might not be in taking sides and "intervening" to make one side the winners, and the other, the losers, when they have trouble comming together, and learning how to get along...
Isaiah 65:1
Funny that Boehner would say that when we as a nation are no longer following our forefathers when they set up one nation under GOD. Can't pray in school, don't follow GOD's word about gay and same sex marriages etc. Have even seen people that don't believe having Christmas,Christ's birthday. So many turn to GOD, only when they are at their witts end, when he is the first that should have been in charge by following his word. It is getting more clear why he said, FEW will inheirt the kingdom of GOD(heaven).
The ironic thing wrt our fore fathers here, and not to stir anything up; but many people might surprised if they were to actually delve into the question of what Free Masonry is, what Free Masons believe, and what might have been on the minds of the Free Masons who were present during the Constitutional Convention...
Not all of our fore fathers necessarily believed exactly as many had assumed. Not that they were atheists, but as I said a bit of research into what the tenets and beliefs of Masonic orders are, might suprise many...
BobbyMac prayer has not been taken out of school. Every time my Southern Baptist son goes to school he takes God with him and pray just before every test. If you have children and they are God based then every where that child goes God is with him, even in school. You need to learn something about your religion and stop following the talking heads when they say prayer has been taken out of school. Remember how Jesus told us to pray, in a place where we are alone with God and for us not to make our prayer a public event. Prayer in school is a public event. God says that we should love all of mankind and that we should leave the judging to him, in other words, gay and same sex marriages are not our concern, loving gay and same sex couples is our concern and when God does his judging then he will determine if they were right or wrong. Individuals like you are the reason so many people leave our faith. Individuals like you need to start practicing your faith and stop dictating to others your own views of what God wants and doesn't want. And as fare as our forefathers, read about Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Adams and others religious beliefs. You will be surprised. Jefferson even has his own version of the KJ version of the Bible. The only thing that is in it are the words of Jesus period.
Sick and tired of Bible Bull****. I guess the only way to get it out of the government is to elect only the non-religious. How can the religious be expected to represent the people when they're more interested in representing their God.
Atheism should be a requirement for holding public office. We pay these people to make real decisions that affect the real physical world and they should be fully immersed in it.
Proverbs 11:14
Timothy 2:12
Not a teacher but bear witness to the truth and His Word...if speaking of 1st Tim. You shouldn't prejudge His people when you know not of me. 2nd Tim, we will reign with him if we endure until the end. God bless you.
Billy Bob AR:15
It's interesting and yet frightening how all the nastiest and the most ignorant people commenting on here are atheists or anti-religious.
Or maybe we just don't want your bizarre sharia laws in our secular government?
If you'd keep your imaginary friends in your own life where they belong, it wouldn't be an issue.
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."
Sorry Tony, we were posting at the same time..
Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar and Give unto God that which is Gods. I really don't know how important this cliff stuff is to God.
An appeal to God for comprimise? Oh please, from a stiff knecked and stubborn legislature. Boehner or this Chaplain is rather funny on this one...
I truely believe that religion is the biggest problem in the world today. Almost all war and mass murder is caused by such. However there probably is a maker (vacationing at the moment) but I do appreciate the "priests" words. take care in '13. The winds of change are a brewin.
You are so right!!! Religion will eventually destroy this planet!
In primitive societies (like Texas and Oklahoma) each team prays before a football game--but only one team wins.
And yet, the losing team prays again before their next game.
Why does Congress have a chaplain? Where is the seperation between church and state?
We can not pray away the stupidity of Congress,we can only hope they finally wake up and
try to help the country.
Tom, show me where this separation between church and state is that you and the other eggheads keep screaming about. Look for it and tell us. It was Christians that set up most of this government and country so all of you can tell us how intelligent you are. What a bunch of fools.
Sounds like you're disappointed that those Christians and Deists deliberately created a secular government in order to get away from Christian sharia law.
Amazing. So many ignorant comments over one prayer. No wonder this country's going to hell.
With a sad heart I have to admit that the Republican representatives are spineless chicken @!$%#s that cower with hopes that they can some how keep their jobs.
I had SO hoped that the religious radical Taliban Republican Party had learned a profound lesson from the last Election in November. Sadly, it looks as if we will have to resort to a one party government until they act responsibly enough to deserve being called a political party. Beware, lest you fall into an abyss of disgrace as the Tea Pods have had to endure.
How about just appealing to alleged adults, duly elected to their posts, to act like grownup?
Do, do we blame God for this mess Congress just passed?
We will have a dysfunctional Congress as long as we have members who believe in the supernatural. When you are convinced that your political stance is divinely sanctioned you will refuse to compromise. Religion will continue to be divisive and having calls for prayer gives the illusion that you are doing something when you are actually just using it as an excuse to do nothing believing you have kicked the problems of this world upstairs to this alleged "higher power" that only exists in the minds of humans who made this myth up. Our politicians need to focus on reality and drop the pretentious religious crap. Being religious in your private life is fine but in the political realm we need our representatives to respect our secular godless Constitution and work for the good of the nation.
Well congress went back to doing business like 1920's , so guess we got same results. Under FDR they raise taxes up to 90% to pay off all the dept, it's our dept we wanted houses, wars, and no telling what all and now is payday. God might say we been unwise.
the separation of church and state, is to protect the church from the state, not the state from the church. Does any body remember what king Henry VIII did when the Pope refused to grant him a divorce, he made himself the head of the church killed everyone who disagreed, and then granted himself a divorce so he could marry his mistress. Anglian church of England, You know the people we won our independence from ??? Every president and every judge swears a oath on what book before they recieve there office of the goverment ! How many of you people know who put that book together in the four century
Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria, and then, as a way of being creditable, he said that it was inspired by God. The separation of Church and State was incorporated to protect citizens from the religious domination that they had just seen Europe go through. And did you see what the Pope did to the community of Christians called the Arians and the Cathars, not only that but did you see what the Christian crusaders did to the Christian community at Constantinopal? Instances of such brutal attacks is why our founding fathers created a separation between church and state, to protect Americas citizens from religious zelats.
I think if God where really in the house of congress he/she/it would have pinched both Boner and Cantors heads off and kicked them into hell where they belong. Maybe God could make a special trip over to the senet next and bitch slap McConnell to.
Even God can't help this bunch of babbling buffoons!
Kind of funny when you think about it. Will these "god" spouting GOPers claim that the chaplains prayers to "god" actually drove them to compromise or acceptance of the Senate bill . . . . or will they stand up and shout from the roof tops that No they did their duty as congressmen/women? Kind of puts them between a rock (god) and a hard place (their egos).
[Or perhaps....they'll now blame god for forcing them to do what they didn`t believe in.]
The house has a chaplain?