Senator Sylvia Allen Suggests Mandatory Church Attendance

[Toothfairy]

State Senator Sylvia Allen talked about a mandatory church attendance law last week during a concealed gun permit meeting in Arizona.

While the moral code of the country is in unquestionable decline in recent years, one Arizona state senator suggests mandatory church attendance as the solution. 

State Sen. Sylvia Allen ® made the comment while debating concealed weapons permits at the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting last Tuesday. Allen was making the point that gun violence has less to do with carry permits and more to do with corrupted souls.

"It's the soul that is corrupt. And how we get back to a moral rebirth in this country, I don't know since we are slowly eroding religion at every opportunity that we have," she said. "Probably we should be debating a bill requiring every American to attend a church of their choice on Sunday to see if we can get back to having a moral rebirth."

While Allen later called her words a "flippant comment," she went on to explain that the statement stems from the way she was raised in the 1950s in relation to how things are now.

"I remember on Sundays the stores were closed," Allen said in an interview with the Arizona Capitol Times. "The biggest thing is religion was kicked out of our public places, out of our schools."

As expected, news of Allen's comment spread like wildfire with many upset that a non-existent "separation of church and state" definition in the First Amendment means that Allen should apologize or resign. "This woman, Sylvia Allen, is a total idiot," one commenter on the Arizona Capitol Times interview said. "Can you imagine how she would handle a real crisis in government now? Get her out of office, people!!!"

And despite Allen saying that people should "attend the church of their choice," many are targeting Christianity for their rebuttals. "What a vile human being. Morality? With christians the highest in prisons and atheists less than 1%, I'd say churches need to be converted to homes for the homeless but religion is a disease that needs eradicated," another commenter said.

Steve Farley, the Democratic state senator at the meeting who first highlighted Allen's comments on his Twitter page, suggested that Allen's comment was misguided. "Even if you believe that would stem the moral decay, I think the Constitution makes it very clear that our country is founded on the pillar of separation of church and state."

In reality, the separation of church and state is not something expressly written in the First Amendment, as any career government official should probably know. Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase "wall of separation between church and state" in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 where he was reassuring the committee that the government would not interfere in the church's manner of worship. But the phrase has been misconstrued in recent years to mean the opposite of what Jefferson intended in his letter and in the First Amendment.

And although Allen suggested the "new law" in a mocking tone while chuckling, State Senator Farley told his Twitter followers that the mandatory church attendance law was something that Allen "calls for."

Sylvia Allen is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and she has served in the Arizona State Senate since 2008. Her current term is due to end on January 1, 2017

http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/54 ... -souls.htm

[Toothfairy]

I guess I'm going to jail. :twisted:

[keen23]

She's CRAZY. In her worldview, we need more guns in public and mandatory church attendance.

[GotCaughtDancing]

This is ridiculous. I am so over Christian anything at this point. It just seems like in the last 10 years neo-conservative & Christian has become the in thing and with social media we are having to see these idiots on a constant basis. If it's not these mooks spinning off and trying to make everyone obey their laws and ways of seeing things, it is people on Facebook spilling out worship & complaining about being persecuted.

I find it even better when it's people that you know who don't practice what they preach. My favorites are the Anti-abortion Anna's who you knew in high school that had abortions. Interestingly enough I find that people I have known since childhood that were religious and still are, are not the ones screeching Christianity and pointing fingers and praising jebus 24/7 but rather it's the ones who were born again or came to it later in life. You know after the party days. :lol:

I am just at the point where I am sick and tired of Sunday Christians trying to dictate how everyone else lives their lives according to a book that they misconstrue to fit whatever need they need to make a point. Shit the duggars can't even stick to one testament. Love how they use rules/laws from the first testament, but hate Jews. I do not want these people telling me how to live.

My thought is that you can't have such a huge rise in popularity (ie whinning & damning Christians & Conservatives) and not have a hell of a ride back down the ladder. :popcorn2:

[countressrascal]

She is one of my favorite-she also got a ballot initiative which passed that AZ does not have to obey laws that the US government put in to place if Arizona doesn't want to. I am waiting for them to tell us that we do not have to pay Federal Income tax it would save me so much money. I credit her inlerlectual ability to in breeding.

[ariel9]

Does bedside baptist count?

[doggie]

the thing you want to say to these idiots is if church and the bible fixes people what the hell is your problem since you are not fixed?

[thoughtful]

How do these assholes get elected?

"I remember on Sundays the stores were closed," Allen said in an interview with the Arizona Capitol Times. "The biggest thing is religion was kicked out of our public places, out of our schools."

When I was a child, businesses were closed on Sundays. It actually was an annoyance for my religiously observant family, since we were Jewish. My father worked long hours, my mother didn't drive -- Sunday would have been a great day for running errands.

But I guess she doesn't care about people who have a different Sabbath. Or who don't want to say Christian prayers and celebrate Christian holidays in a public school.

Because, to people like her, faith/religion/morality=her flavor of Christianity. Even in the 1950s, I knew people who recognized and respected diversity more than that.

[GotCaughtDancing]

How do these assholes get elected?

When I was a child, businesses were closed on Sundays. It actually was an annoyance for my religiously observant family, since we were Jewish. My father worked long hours, my mother didn't drive -- Sunday would have been a great day for running errands.

But I guess she doesn't care about people who have a different Sabbath. Or who don't want to say Christian prayers and celebrate Christian holidays in a public school.

Because, to people like her, faith/religion/morality=her flavor of Christianity. Even in the 1950s, I knew people who recognized and respected diversity more than that.

Yes!

[feministxtian]

When I was a kid in Virginia, each county or city could decide whether or not to have "blue laws". The city I grew up in kept everything closed on Sunday. Just up the road, the county was wide open. The "blue laws" got overturned in my city and the city next to it because of the amount of money being lost to the county on Sunday.

Money talks, bullshit walks.

[Coco]

mandatory church attendance to a church of their choice... well. i could take care of the temple :lol: at the gym every Sunday, sure... and i'll take a discount on my ACA premium with that mandatory attendance, thank you. Or outside in the beauty of creation for a whole day, every week, no problem.

Are we doing comedic sermons and pop praise and worship leaders?

Come on if EVERYBODY was going it could be awesome...

that is, if f*n is godly, and i think so, the joy of the Lord and becoming like children to enter the Kingdom of God and all that. :D :cracking-up:

It is seriously hilarious that some conservatives think passing mandatory laws for the good of the country are only acceptable if they fit their own agendas. If it's something they don't agree with they yell socialism and huddle in the corner clutching their right to individuality for dear life.

[thoughtful]

mandatory church attendance to a church of their choice... well. i could take care of the temple :lol: at the gym every Sunday, sure... and i'll take a discount on my ACA premium with that mandatory attendance, thank you. Or outside in the beauty of creation for a whole day, every week, no problem.

Are we doing comedic sermons and pop praise and worship leaders?

Come on if EVERYBODY was going it could be awesome...

that is, if f*n is godly, and i think so, the joy of the Lord and becoming like children to enter the Kingdom of God and all that. :D :cracking-up:

Oooh, I like the Church of Nature idea.

For foul weather Sundays, I invite anyone interested to the Church of Vintage Film and Song Parody. I'd have a ball writing the hymns. Our deities are Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, etc., with an emphasis on anyone being featured on TCM that day.

For song parodies, our deities are Tom Lehrer, Allan Sherman, and Weird Al.

Oh, and I'm one of those people who hates getting dressed and going out unless I must, so we meet in my living room, and appropriate dress is whatever you want, including jammies.

[Jana814]

This woman is nuts. I live in NJ the county next to me has the blue laws. Theirs a huge mall that is closed on Sundays. However, the grocery stores & restaurants r opened on Sundays.

[Trynn]

The seventh day adventists are having a field day. Sunday laws are coming, it's the end of the world!

[nokidsmom]

Right, going to church is the solution for all the evils of the world. How many times have I heard that. :disgust:

Guess I am going to jail then.

Now, the Church of Nature sounds good to me. Also how should we commune? Wine and cheese? Margaritas? Oh the questions......

[Terrie]

I'll be starting up the Universal Church of Dog. When the weather is nice, services are held at the dog park. Otherwise, we sack out on the couch with a pup and take a nap.

[sparkles]

Oooh, I like the Church of Nature idea.

For foul weather Sundays, I invite anyone interested to the Church of Vintage Film and Song Parody. I'd have a ball writing the hymns. Our deities are Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, etc., with an emphasis on anyone being featured on TCM that day.

For song parodies, our deities are Tom Lehrer, Allan Sherman, and Weird Al.

Oh, and I'm one of those people who hates getting dressed and going out unless I must, so we meet in my living room, and appropriate dress is whatever you want, including jammies.

I'm so there.

[church_of_dog]

Oooh, I like the Church of Nature idea.

I was thinking along the same lines. Walking into my garden each Sunday would fulfill my requirement.

For foul weather Sundays, I invite anyone interested to the Church of Vintage Film and Song Parody. I'd have a ball writing the hymns. Our deities are Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, etc., with an emphasis on anyone being featured on TCM that day.

Yep. For my foul weather Sundays, there's knitting, cooking, and even cleaning (reverently, of course).

For song parodies, our deities are Tom Lehrer, Allan Sherman, and Weird Al.

And Doo Doo Wah!

Oh, and I'm one of those people who hates getting dressed and going out unless I must, so we meet in my living room, and appropriate dress is whatever you want, including jammies.

The more I learn about you, thoughtful, the more similar we seem.

[Cleopatra7]

I assume she has to know that churches vary wildly in what they teach (actually, I don't think she does or else she wouldn't assume the automatic churchgoing would lead to the creation of Tea Party robots). Most conservative Catholics and evangelicals don't consider Mormons like her to be "real Christians," so they wouldn't think that going to a Mormon church counts. Since many UU congregations have a humanist flavor, she probably wouldn't think that that sort of church counts. Many churches have women as clergy or have ministries about reproductive rights. Just going to a church doesn't mean that you're going to be moral or that you're going to think a certain way.

[Dark Matters]

I guess this would be a good time to join the Church of Cannabis.

[happy atheist]

I already attend the church of my choice. It's the Church of Sleeping as Late as I Want and then Maybe Having Donuts. :fsm:

[thoughtful]

I'll be starting up the Universal Church of Dog. When the weather is nice, services are held at the dog park. Otherwise, we sack out on the couch with a pup and take a nap.

Oooh, I'd attend that church. Of course, we already have a schism -- I think it should be the Universal Church of Pets, as I would like to listen to my dove coo as part of my worship, and take breaks from cuddling the beagle to give the bird some snuggling, and give him Communion (safflower seeds and water).

[Cartmann99]

I'm sure that State Senator Allen never goes out for meals or stops at the grocery store on Sundays. Obviously, she carefully plans out her schedule so that all of her shopping and errands are completed during the work week. She keeps a close eye on the time so that she can shut off the breaker box and water to her home late Saturday night so as not to be benefiting from those who must work on Sundays.

After Sunday services are over, she hurries home and cooks her Sunday dinner on her wood stove or outdoor grill. She then spends the evening quietly reading her bible by candlelight until bedtime. She struggles to stay up until 12:01am Monday so that she can turn the water and electricity back on, but understands that sacrifices must be made.

Otherwise, she would be a hypocrite who relies on others to work on Sunday because it makes her life easier. :whistle:

[Mecca]

Well, damn.....I guess I will be serving a life sentence then. :lol:

I am constantly amazed at the massive amounts of elected officials that have apparently never bothered to pick up the U.S. Constitution, read it, and actually grasped what it is saying. It is simply not a suggestion to how things could be if applied, it is the freaking supreme law of the land! I am also amazed time and time again how one particular political group claims their ideology is no government interference in the lives of the constituents, yet they keep bloody trying to pass laws that directly go against their own ideology. Nuts, I tell you! Nuts!!!

[ghost]

I'm sure that State Senator Allen never goes out for meals or stops at the grocery store on Sundays. Obviously, she carefully plans out her schedule so that all of her shopping and errands are completed during the work week. She keeps a close eye on the time so that she can shut off the breaker box and water to her home late Saturday night so as not to be benefiting from those who must work on Sundays.

After Sunday services are over, she hurries home and cooks her Sunday dinner on her wood stove or outdoor grill. She then spends the evening quietly reading her bible by candlelight until bedtime. She struggles to stay up until 12:01am Monday so that she can turn the water and electricity back on, but understands that sacrifices must be made.

Otherwise, she would be a hypocrite who relies on others to work on Sunday because it makes her life easier. :whistle:

And she wouldn't dare get sick or hurt on Sunday because there would be no doctors, nurses, or other medical professionals to help her. And oh yeah, let us hope her house doesn't catch on fire or that she need police help cause she would be just shit out of luck. :cracking-up: