Anti-Terror Law Requires God Be Acknowledged

mich@el · 11-29-2008, 12:13 AM

Anti-Terror Law Requires God Be Acknowledged
11-28-2008
Lexington Herald Leader
http://www.kentucky.com/210/v-print/story/608229.html

Under state law, God is Kentucky's first line of defense against terrorism.

The 2006 law organizing the state Office of Homeland Security lists its initial duty as "stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth."

Specifically, Homeland Security is ordered to publicize God's benevolent protection in its reports, and it must post a plaque at the entrance to the state Emergency Operations Center with an 88-word statement that begins, "The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God."

State Rep. Tom Riner, a Southern Baptist minister, tucked the God provision into Homeland Security legislation as a floor amendment that lawmakers overwhelmingly approved two years ago.

As amended, Homeland Security's religious duties now come before all else, including its distribution of millions of dollars in federal grants and its analysis of possible threats.

The time and energy spent crediting God are appropriate, said Riner, D-Louisville, in an interview this week.

"This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky," Riner said. "Government itself, apart from God, cannot close the security gap. The job is too big for government."

Nonetheless, it is government that operates the Office of Homeland Security in Frankfort, with a budget this year of about $28 million, mostly federal funds. And some administrations are more religious than others.

Under previous Gov. Ernie Fletcher, a lay Baptist preacher, Homeland Security interpreted the law at face value, prominently crediting God in its annual reports to state leaders and posting the required plaque.

Under Gov. Steve Beshear, officials this week said they didn't know about the plaque until the Herald-Leader called to ask whether it's still there. (They checked; it is.) The 2008 Homeland Security report, issued a month ago, did not credit God, but it did complain about a decline in federal funding from Washington.

Thomas Preston, Beshear's Homeland Security chief, said he isn't interested in stepping into a religious debate, and he hasn't given this part of his duties much thought.

"I will not try to supplant almighty God," Preston said. "All I do is try to obey the dictates of the Kentucky General Assembly. I really don't know what their motivation was for this. They obviously felt strongly about it."

There is no reference to God in Homeland Security's current mission statement or on its Web site, which displeases Riner.

"We certainly expect it to be there, of course," Riner said.

But state Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, said Homeland Security should worry about public safety threats instead of preaching religious homilies.

"It's very sad to me that we do this sort of thing," said Stein, a frequent critic of efforts to mix religion and government. "It takes away from the seriousness of the public discussion over security, and it clearly hurts the credibility of this office if it's supposed to be depending on God, first and foremost."

mich@el · 11-29-2008, 12:15 AM

It's no secret that I'm not religious (to me it's just another form of mind control).

This type of thing is bordering on the religious fanaticism that we are blaming "terrorists" of.

Mingus · 11-29-2008, 07:32 AM

Take it to the Supreme Court, it violates the separation of Church and State. Bush has been completely annihilated in Court, so this guy won't have any sway.

kidflash2008 · 11-30-2008, 08:29 AM

With five conservative members of the Supreme Court, this law will pass muster. The two who may leave in the next four years are very liberal, so it will not do anything to change the face of the court.

Mingus · 11-30-2008, 03:42 PM

They're conservative, but they aren't in the same pocket as the Bush gang.

kidflash2008 · 12-01-2008, 09:20 AM

They got him into office in 2000, didn't they? I say they are in the pocket of those who put up the Bush dynasty. They also want the Fundamentalist Christians in their pockets, so they will throw them a bone or two.

Mingus · 12-03-2008, 08:21 AM

Eh, losing 4 Court cases in a time of war is unprecedented, let alone losing just 1. The Supreme Court has been doing the honorable thing for the most part. As long as Roe Vs. Wade doesn't come up, their personal opinions are usually checked at the door. Guantanamo has been reduced to just a temporary offshore jail, publicly, due to the Supreme Court decision on holding them prisoner without due process.

kidflash2008 · 12-03-2008, 09:23 AM

How many of the Guantanamo Bay prisoners have been freed since the ruling? President Andrew Jackson ignored the Supreme Court's ruling and still moved the Cherokee Nation to Oklahoma.
In the Bush 2000 decision, I did not see any opinions checked at the door, otherwise they would not have accepted the case.

Mingus · 12-03-2008, 01:08 PM

Bush ignoring the Court decisions means he's breaking the law, which means it's technically up to Congress to deal with him. The Court itself has done it's duty.

kidflash2008 · 12-04-2008, 09:26 AM

Remember, VP Cheney thinks his office is outside of the other branches of government. I don't know what Constitution he read, but it isn't the one that was written.
As long as the Congress lets them get away with it, (and it is too late to start impeachment proceedings as they are to leave office in a few months) there is nothing we can do about it.
As I have stated, after the 2000 election debacle starring the Supreme Court, I have lost much faith in our government.

11-29-2008, 12:13 AM	#1
mich@el Junior Investigator Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: http://hellhound.org/simplemachinesforum/index.php Posts: 76	Anti-Terror Law Requires God Be Acknowledged Anti-Terror Law Requires God Be Acknowledged 11-28-2008 Lexington Herald Leader http://www.kentucky.com/210/v-print/story/608229.html Under state law, God is Kentucky's first line of defense against terrorism. The 2006 law organizing the state Office of Homeland Security lists its initial duty as "stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth." Specifically, Homeland Security is ordered to publicize God's benevolent protection in its reports, and it must post a plaque at the entrance to the state Emergency Operations Center with an 88-word statement that begins, "The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God." State Rep. Tom Riner, a Southern Baptist minister, tucked the God provision into Homeland Security legislation as a floor amendment that lawmakers overwhelmingly approved two years ago. As amended, Homeland Security's religious duties now come before all else, including its distribution of millions of dollars in federal grants and its analysis of possible threats. The time and energy spent crediting God are appropriate, said Riner, D-Louisville, in an interview this week. "This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky," Riner said. "Government itself, apart from God, cannot close the security gap. The job is too big for government." Nonetheless, it is government that operates the Office of Homeland Security in Frankfort, with a budget this year of about $28 million, mostly federal funds. And some administrations are more religious than others. Under previous Gov. Ernie Fletcher, a lay Baptist preacher, Homeland Security interpreted the law at face value, prominently crediting God in its annual reports to state leaders and posting the required plaque. Under Gov. Steve Beshear, officials this week said they didn't know about the plaque until the Herald-Leader called to ask whether it's still there. (They checked; it is.) The 2008 Homeland Security report, issued a month ago, did not credit God, but it did complain about a decline in federal funding from Washington. Thomas Preston, Beshear's Homeland Security chief, said he isn't interested in stepping into a religious debate, and he hasn't given this part of his duties much thought. "I will not try to supplant almighty God," Preston said. "All I do is try to obey the dictates of the Kentucky General Assembly. I really don't know what their motivation was for this. They obviously felt strongly about it." There is no reference to God in Homeland Security's current mission statement or on its Web site, which displeases Riner. "We certainly expect it to be there, of course," Riner said. But state Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, said Homeland Security should worry about public safety threats instead of preaching religious homilies. "It's very sad to me that we do this sort of thing," said Stein, a frequent critic of efforts to mix religion and government. "It takes away from the seriousness of the public discussion over security, and it clearly hurts the credibility of this office if it's supposed to be depending on God, first and foremost." __________________ "Not all who wander are lost"

11-29-2008, 12:15 AM	#2
mich@el Junior Investigator Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: http://hellhound.org/simplemachinesforum/index.php Posts: 76	It's no secret that I'm not religious (to me it's just another form of mind control). This type of thing is bordering on the religious fanaticism that we are blaming "terrorists" of. __________________ "Not all who wander are lost"

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11-29-2008, 07:32 AM	#3
Mingus Investigator Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 325	Take it to the Supreme Court, it violates the separation of Church and State. Bush has been completely annihilated in Court, so this guy won't have any sway.

11-30-2008, 08:29 AM	#4
kidflash2008 Senior Investigator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,699	With five conservative members of the Supreme Court, this law will pass muster. The two who may leave in the next four years are very liberal, so it will not do anything to change the face of the court.

11-30-2008, 03:42 PM	#5
Mingus Investigator Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 325	They're conservative, but they aren't in the same pocket as the Bush gang.

12-01-2008, 09:20 AM	#6
kidflash2008 Senior Investigator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,699	They got him into office in 2000, didn't they? I say they are in the pocket of those who put up the Bush dynasty. They also want the Fundamentalist Christians in their pockets, so they will throw them a bone or two.

12-03-2008, 08:21 AM	#7
Mingus Investigator Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 325	Eh, losing 4 Court cases in a time of war is unprecedented, let alone losing just 1. The Supreme Court has been doing the honorable thing for the most part. As long as Roe Vs. Wade doesn't come up, their personal opinions are usually checked at the door. Guantanamo has been reduced to just a temporary offshore jail, publicly, due to the Supreme Court decision on holding them prisoner without due process.

12-03-2008, 09:23 AM	#8
kidflash2008 Senior Investigator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,699	How many of the Guantanamo Bay prisoners have been freed since the ruling? President Andrew Jackson ignored the Supreme Court's ruling and still moved the Cherokee Nation to Oklahoma. In the Bush 2000 decision, I did not see any opinions checked at the door, otherwise they would not have accepted the case.

12-03-2008, 01:08 PM	#9
Mingus Investigator Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 325	Bush ignoring the Court decisions means he's breaking the law, which means it's technically up to Congress to deal with him. The Court itself has done it's duty.

12-04-2008, 09:26 AM	#10
kidflash2008 Senior Investigator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,699	Remember, VP Cheney thinks his office is outside of the other branches of government. I don't know what Constitution he read, but it isn't the one that was written. As long as the Congress lets them get away with it, (and it is too late to start impeachment proceedings as they are to leave office in a few months) there is nothing we can do about it. As I have stated, after the 2000 election debacle starring the Supreme Court, I have lost much faith in our government.