... and I sympathize to an extent. And I promise I won't engage in an endless circular argument - I'll make my points. :-)

With regard to Jesus admonishing folks to get to their closet and pray - indeed he did. But that is one admonition out of context with many, many others. That is not all Jesus had to say about prayer, and Jesus himself prayed aloud in public - which set an example. He was a Jew, and it was/is common practice to pray aloud in public. There are simply more than this one admonition from Jesus to put his teachings and examples about prayer in context and claim it to be "this is what Jesus teaches about prayer."

With regard to the "clearly illegal under the Constitution": If its illegality under the Constitution were all that clear, it would not still be happening in Congress. Legislative bodies have ab initio in this country started their sessions with prayer. State legislatures do it. the Congress of the United States does it. And local legislative bodies do it. It has never been ruled unconstitutional by SCOTUS. So while it may be clear to you, its illegality is not yet clear to the highest court in the land.

I do agree with you about many prayers I've heard, at least locally - they can and often do devolve into ad lib sermons, reminding God of things I think he already knows. But the better crafted prayers I've heard in both state and national legislative houses should offend noone. I believe there is a way to do it and a way not to do it. And it is unfortunate that some folks choose the way it shouldn't be done when they engage in it.

I'm not entirely unsympathetic at all. Some of the kinds of "prayer" I hear do indeed repulse me. But I've heard lots that does not, as well.

Thanks for letting me offer my views.

RB

+3