To: [email protected]
Subject:Opinion regarding National Day of Prayer comments
Mr Hernandez, your public statement regarding the National Day of Prayer observance on county property is ill considered and makes one question your judgment on other matters. The authors of the Constitution were religious men that saw the necessity for a spiritual component in one’s life , but they also were very aware of the danger of imposing a theocratic state hence their emphasis on freedom of religion. They knew that the success of our nation depended on the ability of the American people to pursue their religious lives and secular pursuits in a balenced manner.The spiritual nature of man is inherently bound into our lives whatever faith one follows. Research done by the Transcendental Meditation organization demonstrated that when sufficient numbers of people meditated simultaneously, directing their attention and intention resulted in significant reductions in crime and violence for the period of time that the meditative program was continued. ( Over twenty tests were performed demonstrating the same results, documented by Lynne Taggart in “ The Intention Experiment”) Group prayer is an American tradition reinforced by the declaration of a National Day of Prayer and is a bastion of the free society we call America. Our relationship with the Creator is more important than social issues in our lives and considerations of control of that relationship are not the purview of government. America is not the government on a national,state,or county level- America is the concept of a national entity brought together in the hearts and minds of the people that live here and believe in the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence. The government is “we the people “ , not we the county commissioners- the county office building and its grounds belong to “we the people “ , not the county commissioners. You had no right to bar the rightful owners of public property from conducting an activity protected by the First Amendment on public property. Perhaps you think that as the new commissioner you need puff out your chest, but whatever the reason you were wrong.
In my opinion, our society is spiritually bankrupt . The scriptural adage of ‘render unto Ceasar’ implies a balance of material concerns along with spiritual concerns. The social order being shoved down the throat of this nation and the world is entirely focused on material concerns. Our founding fathers would not decree a religion but at the same time they absolutely supported the practice of faith and religion in our society. The purpose of government is to promote an environment for our citizens that allows for freedom to prosper in life , in business,and in all aspects of our existence. Preventing people from exercising their rights is not a function of government. You and the commissioners that agreed with your opinion on the National Day of Prayer need to seriously examine what you think your job is, revisit your oath of office and renew your commitment to serve the people.
We deserve better than this.
Sincerely Joseph Kincaid DVM ND
Sent from my iPad
