Jackson Free Press

This http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/apr/08/lincoln-leaders-unsure-prayer-laws-effects/">Associated Press story just illustrates how absurd it was for the Mississippi Legislature, and Gov. Phil Bryant, to push and pass a law that tries to circumvent the First Amendment, which wisely tells government to stay the hell out of (my words, not theirs) people's religious choices. As http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/feb/13/between-man-and-his-god/">I wrote in a recent column, the wise men who wrote the Constitution knew from this nation's early experiences that any interference by government on any level into worshiping (or praying) creates the conditions to squelch someone's freedom of religion.

Of course, we all know that the legislators and Bryant did this because they believe the move will appeal to "faith voters," whom they assume do not think and read well enough to understand that there is an "establishment" clause in the First Amendment precisely to protect all of us from, well, folks like them who want to push one flavor of religion on everyone.

In other words, this is exactly the kind of political chicanery the First Amendment was created to prevent. Too bad that the government of the state of Mississippi, once again, makes us look bad and stupid to the rest of the world.

It leaves us asking: Are these so-called anti-government types, or so they claim, really bent on having government create the roadmaps for people's faith and prayer? That is downright terrifying, not to mention hypocritical.