NationStates Jolt Archive

"Clergy are employed by Congress to open sessions with prayer and provide spiritual guidance to members. Each of the two chaplains earns in excess of $130,000 annually, and the combined budget of both House and Senate chaplain offices is almost half a million dollars a year."
http://www.wash.org/pr04sep02.html

Sorry about the age of the article, I just read the fact in a book I'm reading. So, what do you think? Should our tax dollars really be going towards faith in the Gov't?

Nope. They're not the military, who's members have to serve in foreign countries far from their churches, mosques or synegogs. There are plenty of houses of worship in Washington DC if they need spiritual guidance. No other job keeps preachers on the payroll for the employees, why should congress have them?

"Clergy are employed by Congress to open sessions with prayer and provide spiritual guidance to members. Each of the two chaplains earns in excess of $130,000 annually, and the combined budget of both House and Senate chaplain offices is almost half a million dollars a year."
http://www.wash.org/pr04sep02.html

Sorry about the age of the article, I just read the fact in a book I'm reading. So, what do you think? Should our tax dollars really be going towards faith in the Gov't?

Too late, the Busheviks set up an office of faith-based initiatives to do just that, remember? Personally, I don't much care if Congress opens its session with prayer, or even if it costs a half a million bucks, if it keeps the ever-persecuted Christian majority quiet.

Eh, I'd rather spend $130,000 on the two chaplains than $130,000 on two scumbag Senators...

I think it's a traditional thing; it's been in place for a long time and there's no real reason to get rid of it. I seriously doubt removal of the chaplains is going to change anything, and will probably make people angry. You're not going to stop religious zealots from doing what they want by removing two chaplains...I see no reason to even care about it.

Hell, it would make me angry for the simple reason that it's destroying a historical tradition.

Too late, the Busheviks set up an office of faith-based initiatives to do just that, remember? Personally, I don't much care if Congress opens its session with prayer, or even if it costs a half a million bucks, if it keeps the ever-persecuted Christian majority quiet.

But if I can't needlessly complain in a forum that will do the cause no good... what will I do with my afternoon?

Eh, I'd rather spend $130,000 on the two chaplains than $130,000 on two scumbag Senators...

I think it's a traditional thing; it's been in place for a long time and there's no real reason to get rid of it. I seriously doubt removal of the chaplains is going to change anything, and will probably make people angry. Hell, it would make me angry for the simple reason that it's destroying a historical tradition.

I got pissy when we stopped stoning people, so I know where you are coming from.

Why should the government provide spiritual guidance to its employees who can easily find their own?

I got pissy when we stopped stoning people, so I know where you are coming from.

As we all know, a nonspecific, nondenominational prayer given only at the opening of each session of Congress is clearly equivalent to a brutal and archaic method of torture and execution.

As we all know, a nonspecific, nondenominational prayer given only at the opening of each session of Congress is clearly equivalent to a brutal method of execution.

See? When they voted down stoning, nobody else understood that simple fact.

See? When they voted down stoning, nobody else understood that simple fact.

I really wish I had a smilie that could convey my response, but I don't...

But if I can't needlessly complain in a forum that will do the cause no good... what will I do with my afternoon?

I know what I'd like to be doing with my afternoon, but I work in a cubicle and don't have a door I can close. Besides, even if I did, the walls are pretty thin here. :cool:

If I had that kind of money to throw around on things I don't need I'd hire strippers, not chaplains.

Do the congressmen have them in case they run out of pages to bugger?

If I had that kind of money to throw around on things I don't need I'd hire strippers, not chaplains.

I wouldn't mind having a lap dance before making a weighty decision.

I wouldn't mind having a lap dance before making a weighty decision.

Clinton did, and he seems to have turned out pretty well.

Clinton did, and he seems to have turned out pretty well.

Think how much money we'd save if we hired Monica. Can't be anywhere close to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Do the congressmen have them in case they run out of pages to bugger?

Well, congressmen and the clergy do have something in common.

I wonder..How many pages serve also as altar boys? ;)

I didn't know this and am very dissapointed.

It would be great if US American citizens could vote on crap liek this and what our nations leaders get paid, what their benefits are and similar things.

A half a million dollars can do a lot for at least one school.

"Is the appointment of Chaplains to the two Houses of Congress consistent with the Constitution, and with the pure principle of religious freedom? In strictness the answer on both points must be in the negative. The Constitution of the U S forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion. The law appointing Chaplains establishes a religious worship for the national representatives, to be performed by Ministers of religion, elected by a majority of them, and these are to be paid out of the national taxes. Does this not involve the principle of a national establishment...?"
-- James Madison, "Essay on Monopolies" unpublished until 1946, cited in Brant, Irving, The Bill of Rights, 1965, from Albert J Menendez and Edd Doerr, The Great Quotations on Religious Freedom

As we all know, a nonspecific, nondenominational prayer given only at the opening of each session of Congress is clearly equivalent to a brutal and archaic method of torture and execution.

Which is why it costs half a million dollars annually. :rolleyes:

*FLUSH!!!*


Oh, snap! There go my tax dollars! :eek: :mad:

2 things

1) Its not like they are exactly out of reach of a worship place of their specific domination in DC

2) Over a HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars a year! WTF are these people doing to deserve that sort of money

2 things

1) Its not like they are exactly out of reach of a worship place of their specific domination in DC

2) Over a HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars a year! WTF are these people doing to deserve that sort of money

Giving a two minute pep talk courtesy of a being which may not exist?

Over a HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars a year! WTF are these people doing to deserve that sort of money


*fapfapfapfapfapfapfap*

...what did you expect? :p

Bump.

Giving a two minute pep talk courtesy of a being which may not exist?

It's more meaningful than the State of the Union address...

It's more meaningful than the State of the Union address...

You've got me there. But it is still not saying much.

2) Over a HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars a year! WTF are these people doing to deserve that sort of money

They are haliburton chaplins.

They are haliburton chaplins.

Makes me think they got some naughty secrets about some people there

Article 1, Section 5:

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.

If they want chaplains, or strippers, or public executions, or whatever else may be to be included in the course of their procedings, they can have it if the indovidual house so decides.

As to compensation: Article 6 only says that they will not be subject to arrest for anything less than Treason, Felony, or Breach of Peace while the houses are in session, and says nothing about fiscal recompense.

Basically, they can do what they want, but shouldn't get paid for any of it.

Article 1, Section 5:

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.

If they want chaplains, or strippers, or public executions, or whatever else may be to be included in the course of their procedings, they can have it if the indovidual house so decides.

As to compensation: Article 6 only says that they will not be subject to arrest for anything less than Treason, Felony, or Breach of Peace while the houses are in session, and says nothing about fiscal recompense.

Basically, they can do what they want, but shouldn't get paid for any of it.

There should be a public outlash because of citizens taxes paying for this. If there is anyplace in the United States where the Separation of Church and State should be respected, I'd think the first place would be at the very center of our nation's capital.

My bet is that those Chaplains have gathered too much shit, via confessions, on the senators and now can't be get rid of.

My bet is that those Chaplains have gathered too much shit, via confessions, on the senators and now can't be get rid of.

There's something to that. It'd be nice if some rabble-rousing Speaker replaced the regular milquetoast preacher with a Wiccan or a Buddhist monk or something though, just for a curveball.