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| In 2005, U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes founded the Congressional Prayer Caucus, a bipartisan group that has 25 members.
(courtesy photo) |
By Steven G. Vegh
The Virginian-Pilot
There are plenty of special interests at work within Congress, and U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes is point man for one of them: the Congressional Prayer Caucus.
The caucus, a formal congressional group Forbes founded in 2005 , helps the Chesapeake congressman fight what he calls the “constant, dripping erosion” of the nation’s heritage of prayer and faith.
Just last month , the caucus swung into action when an official deleted “God” from a certificate accompanying a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol .
Forbes and the caucus argued that neither law nor history justified the deletion of religious language . The official wouldn’t budge.
“Ultimately, we began writing letters and getting people involved around the country,” and the official dropped the policy, Forbes said.
Congress has more than 100 official caucuses, each a collection of
legislators sharing special interests. Groups include the prominent Congressional Black Caucus and the more obscure dietary supplement and songwriters caucuses.
The prayer caucus Forbes founded is probably the first of its kind in congressional history, said Laura Olson , a Clemson University political scientist.
The caucus is bipartisan, but most of its 25 members are evangelical Christians representing districts “with siz able populations” of evangelicals, she said. The group includes at least one Jew and one Catholic.
The prayer caucus reflects Forbes’ convictions as a Christian who has taught adult Sunday School for 20 years at Great Bridge Baptist Church.
“Randy believes that prayer is what changes things and our country needs to be on our knees in prayer,” said the Rev. Allan Campbell , the church’s music minister.
Forbes said that after his election to Congress in 2001 , he met like-minded legislators who agreed that America’s government had “an enormous history that was built in faith and commitment to pray.”
Forbes shared their worry that Americans were “losing our spiritual will” even as “well-funded and orchestrated” movements were attacking when and where people could pray.
To Forbes, the threatening trends were cause for setting partisan politics aside. In early 2005 , he mustered sympathetic members and called for action.
“I said, 'I think that we need to come together, Republicans and Democrats, and pray for our country at least once a week,’” he recalled.
A third of his audience said they didn’t have the time. Another third eagerly pledged to attend – then failed to show.
Gradually, the remainder began praying weekly in Room 219, conveniently located near the floor of the House of Representatives.
Once word of the doings in Room 219 trickled out, tips on where religion seemed threatened – a prayer-free football game here, a town council barring prayer there – began flowing from private citizens to the group’s members.
To Forbes, it all made a compelling case for an official prayer advocate in Congress.
“Never before in history had we ever had a prayer caucus,” he said, “but we needed one now.”
The Republican-dominated House gave permission for the caucus in 2005 . After the 2006 election, the House’s new Democratic leadership renewed that approval.
The caucus is separate from the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, a nonprofit that Forbes recently launched to promote prayer by private individuals.
Forbes said he spoke for the foundation, not the caucus, when he led a Capitol news conference last March that urged Americans to pray five minutes a week for the nation.
The caucus, which has no paid staff, acts as a religious Paul Revere – on watch for challenges to prayer, warning members and arming them with information they can use to fight back.
This fall, the caucus alerted members after the National Cemetery Administration ruled out a flag-folding recital mentioning God at veterans’ funerals in national cemeteries.
Outraged, members recruited noncaucus colleagues in Congress to send protest letters to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The department subsequently clarified its position, saying religious content provided by survivors could be read at burials.
U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones , R-N.C., who represents eastern North Carolina, said the caucus backed his recent fight to let military chaplains pray in the name of Jesus Christ in any setting.
To Jones, a Catholic in the caucus, membership in the group is not about politics or religion.
“It’s about whether this person as an individual believes God is the only hope for this country’s future – not Washington, D.C., but God,” Jones said.
At Americans United for Separation of Church and State – a group Jones blamed for lawsuits questioning public prayer – the Rev. Barry W. Lynn disputed any need for the caucus.
“It was created to give the appearance that if they didn’t protect the right to pray, that right would somehow disappear,” Lynn said. “There’s no war against religion in general or Christianity in this country.”
At The Rutherford Institute , which defends public religious expression, president John Whitehead said he’d never heard of the prayer caucus.
But he said it was needed to help fight anti-religious political correctness and preserve the country’s spiritual heritage.
“The people who started the country believed in God and believed it was an important part of American life that you acknowledge that,” he said.
There are probably political benefits for Forbes if constituents know of his prayer advocacy, said Larry Sabato , director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
“Forbes isn’t going to lose any votes by founding the prayer caucus and will probably gain a lot, because it’s a fairly conservative district,” Sabato said.
But Forbes said the caucus is not a vehicle for political gain or personal publicity.
“This is going to remain pure, this is going to remain good, because we believe in what we’re doing,” he said.
Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417,
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Just Chill
I don't know why people like TR have to turn every story--especially the heartwarming ones--into a political football. Don't you have something better to do with your time? Why do you feel it necessary to make biased, childish, nonsensical comments about stories which happen to center around people with whom you disagree on the issues? Even when the story is a human interest one? Please. Life is too short to be that bitter. Lighten up a little, and your family and friends will appreciate you even more than they do now.
Look Away
For anyone in this discussion who thinks that they are being "forced to pray" just because a leader decides to at a meeting needs to spend some time in the Middle East. I do not see police walking around and beating men for not praying, women for not covering up and news channels only showing state approved broacasts. I do not like the majority of television shows on TV so I have to turn the channel. I don't like all of the huge billboards which show men and women which are almost naked so I must turn my head. If you don't want to hear the prayers, plug your ears, walk away, turn off your television or don't read the stories. Then again, those of you who wish for a Godless society are getting what you wish for. And it's NOT progression!
Just another comment.......
Robert Avery of Chesapeake, said in part….."God will honor this and answer our prayers. He is always faithful to respond when we seek Him. I will be spending more time in prayer for our country, its leaders and our troops." OK. If you actually want to pray for something worthwhile, I want you to pray that all of our young men and women who have had limbs blown off in Iraq, will have God put them back on. That should be a piece of cake for someone who is all powerful. Show me one limb reattached and I'll join you folks. Otherwise, I will remain a Pastafarian…. Paul M. in Norfolk…. Bless you brother.
Too bad ...
Forbes and other republicans pandering to religious extremists aren't praying for an end to the constant dripping, erosion of our civil rights under the bush administration and our slow, inexorable drift away from the values that truly made our nation unique - freedom, tolerance and opportunity for every man and woman - not just white christians who go nuts anytime someone suggests there may be more than one path to God. What's the difference between christian extremists and the Taliban again?
I already pray at least twice a week ...
That the country is saved from false prophets, opportunistic politicians and the christian militia.
Congressman Randy Forbes Prayer Caucus
Thank you, Virginian-Pilot for presenting this wonderful story about the Congressional Prayer Caucus on the front page. Randy Forbes is to be commended for spear-heading this effort to turn to God in prayer for our nation and its leaders. God will honor this and answer our prayers.
He is always faithful to respond when we seek Him.
I will be spending more time in prayer for our country, its leaders and our troops.
A fine Man
The Fact is... I am proud that he is praying for our nation. This is not a party issue either. This is an effort by a man with strong faith to bring others of like faith together.
You dont have to pray. We will.
And while some are concerned that their tax dollars are being misused keep in mind, just like all our congressmen and senators, he probably works 16 out of every 24 hours in the course of a day.
God bless you Randy, We support you and your faith.
Uh, more politicians praying, or pandering?
Uh, more politicians praying, and? I don't know about the rest of you folks, but it seems the more they pray, the more corrupt our government becomes. Don't know what they're praying for, but I think pandering might be a better term than praying is some instances.
Thank God for Randy
This country needs more like him
Bipartisan but,
"most of its 25 memebers are evangelical Christians representing districts with a sizable population of evangelicals".............and sizable withdrawals from the collection plate they shove in their pocket. Art B said it best more guns, more Jesus that's the Repaublican way. And Peggy Matthews, luck has nothing to do with Forbes serving, ....evangelical mony does. Please don't confuse the two. Maybe part of your church donation went to fund his campaign.
When Randy passes the collection plate around...
... he best keep an eye on Mssrs Mark Foley (R), David Vitter (R), and Larry Craig (R). Any attempts of "making change" in the offertory is most likely a money grab to pay their attorneys to defend against their tresspasses. Dang you libwuls!
Apparently someone posted online the prayers from the last meeting...
"Let us pray that Rudy Guiliani's story about his taxpayer funded trips to the Hamptons to shag his mistress (who had her own personal driver and taxpayer funded car) doesnt blow up too much."
"Let us pray that not too many more people in the Bush administration get indicted."
"Thank you God that Scooter held as a firewall to protect Cheney, Rove, and Bush. "
"Amen."
Typical
This is the republican formula for all the ills of society. More guns, more Jesus.
Give Me A Break!
I'm so tired of seeing our political leaders with their heads bowed and eyes closed in so-called prayer. Most of us don't believe you folks who worship outwardly, pandering to christian voters, are any closer to god than anyone else. In fact, I often think you are the most in need of prayer. Stop all the shenanigans and get to work doing something that really makes a difference is people's lives.
Let people who want to pray for our country exercise that righ
Why is it you people are so against prayer by our elected officials? You don't want to pray or believe in anything but yourself thats your right. Spend your 20-40-60-80 years on this Earth and take your chances that this was all there is. I still believe that you are a miniority, so why don't you just sit back on your butt and let those that do believe that there is someone greater that can fix the things that mere mortals are failing miserably at, do the work. Heck if it happens to work even you will reap the rewards. If we are beyond even a Loving God willing to save us from ourselves you are in no worse position. It's not my job or anyother Christians or Jews job to save your soul. It's entirely up to you.
Here's a thought...
Hey, Randy - since you're doing all this praying on the government's time (and mine as a citizen) how about you pray that 01-20-09 brings an end to Republican boobery of the last eight years? Remember, folks. Guiliani and Romney = more of the same. And God (the tolerant, be-excellent-to-each-other one that I believe in) help us if that religious nut Huckabee wins.
Prayer Caucus----Congressman Randy Forbes
I was so happy to read your front page article about Congressman Randy Forbes starting a congressional prayer caucus! This is exactly what our country needs.....prayer for our nation and its leaders. This article has inspired me to spend more time in prayer for our nation. Thank you, Virginia-Pilot, for putting this on your front page! Our nation needs to turn back to God and to prayer.Thank God for Randy Forbes, a man with a vision and a love for God.
Slow News Day?
Must be a slow news day when this merits attention as a story. What would be news is if this group of representatives (both Dems and Reps) would spend a little less time focusing on non-issues like this one (as if God needs to be defended from secularists .. last time I checked God has managed to remain supreme since time has been recorded) and more on those issues that indeed matter, both to us AND to God, like war, justice, health care, energy independence and the environment, poverty, education, racial harmony and on and on. How Congressman Forbes and his friends practice and profess their religious beliefs in their private lives is their business. A little less prayer and a little more action on public time would be my prayer.
As usual ...
Right wing extremists and christian terrorists have joined the discussion to argue that the best future requires a return to the past. A past that exists only in their minds. The real past you love so much is filled with even greater amounts of religious intolerance, injustice, violence, sexism and racism. Forbes and his mindless followers would have us return to a one-God nation that never really existed. Let every man and woman freely practice whatever religion they chose. The state does not need to take sides and I doubt any real God needs the state's acknowledgment. White christians are complaining because their race and religion worldwide are in decline. You are living in the past and you can't stop a multicultural future.
Thank you Randy
Randy and his family are wonderful people and I am certainly not surprised that Randy started the prayer caucus with his associates in D.C. Everyone from Chesapeake knows that Randy and his family are very active in their church. Randy is not the type of person that says one thing and then does something else. He is a man of God and he is proud to say so. We are very lucky to have Randy representing us in Congress.
Religion is...
Much like Santa Claus. Cute when your mind is young and undeveloped and impressively annoying and even disturbing when you are older and supposed to be mature. Some day I hope people grow out of it. It would stop 99% of the world's problems.