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Tags: dar | jesus | religious | changes | untrue | fox

DAR: Reports on Religious Changes Untrue

By    |   Thursday, 03 January 2013 10:29 PM EST

The Daughters of the American Revolution, one of the nation’s oldest patriotic organizations, said on Thursday that reports of it removing mentions of Jesus Christ in their official book — along with prayers and poems that reference Christian imagery — were false.

The organization, founded in 1890, also said that reports directing members to refrain from praying in the name of Christ were untrue.

The DAR was responding to a Fox News report earlier Thursday that these actions had been taken in its revised Ritual and Missal books, the primary guide for chaplains.

Outraged members apparently notified Fox after some had learned of via a newsletter published by a state chaplain in the organization. The controversy has been brewing for about a year, Fox reported.

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“NSDAR is disappointed to learn that false and incorrect information has recently been circulated regarding the 2011 edition of the DAR Ritual and Missal and the use of the name Jesus Christ in prayers and other ceremonial events of the National Society,” the organization’s statement began. “The purpose of this message is to clarify NSDAR’s position on the matter for anyone who has not previously viewed the blogs written by President General Merry Ann T. Wright.

“First, the question was posed by a national media group that if the motto of DAR is God, Home and Country, then ‘…why is DAR taking out references to God…’ in its printed material. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“In fact, as currently written, the 113-page Ritual and Missal contains over 300 references to ‘Almighty God,’ ‘Great God our King’ (America hymn), ‘Our Heavenly Father,’ ‘Heavenly Father,’ ‘God of Hosts,’ ‘God,’ ‘Lord,’ ‘Eternal God,’ ‘Your Holy Spirit,’ ‘Lord your God,’ ‘Gracious Lord,’ ‘Almighty and Everlasting God,’ ‘Gracious Father,’ and similar variations.

“Second, the allegation has been leveled that Chaplains and others have been told not to pray in the name of Jesus Christ,” the DAR statement continued. “Again, this is an absolute falsehood.

“Each Chaplain and other officers are strongly encouraged to create their own prayers into which they may insert the name of Jesus Christ as deemed appropriate for the occasion and the audience.”

The organization’s statement then quotes an April 10, 2012, blog post by its President General when the issue first surfaced.

“ ‘The Executive Officers believe that the new Ritual and Missal can be used by members of any faith, substituting words as they wish, changing the prayers to suit the needs of the meeting in which they are being used.

“ ‘At our Executive meetings, knowing that we are all Christian, we pray in the Name of Jesus. When those are present whose faith is unknown, we pray in God’s name. However, we all recognize that when Christians pray in God’s name we are, indeed, praying in Christ’s name because the Christian faith believes in the Trinity of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The blog post continued: “ ‘We also understand that our Jewish members know God as Jehovah or Yahweh, Muslim members use the name Allah for God and there are those whose spirituality may have a still different higher power or none at all.

“ ‘We have in no way mandated that one must or must not use the name of Jesus Christ in the prayers. In our DAR rituals, prayers are included. Most of the prayers begin with “Our Father” or “Almighty God” and end “in Your Holy Name”

“ ‘Christ’s prayer, known as The Lord’s Prayer, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, Easter and Passover prayers and prayers for other religious observances are included,’” the DAR blog post said.

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“The above passage also addresses the last major falsehood: that the name of Christ has been totally removed from the Ritual and Missal,” the DAR’s overall statement said. “That simply is not the case.

“In promoting the importance of freedom of religion upon which our country was founded, our Founding Fathers intended for all religions and not one specific faith to be allowed and respected,” the statement continued. “The Constitution of the United States of America is clear on this issue as are many of the letters and writings of these great leaders.

“It was in spirit of our Founding Fathers’ desire for freedom of religion that the most recent changes to the Ritual and Missal were made,” the organization’s statement said.

Founded as a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization, the DAR’s membership is open to any woman who can prove she is a lineal descendant of a patriot from the American Revolution. The organization has 170,000 members in 3,000 chapters.


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The Daughters of the American Revolution, one of the nation s oldest patriotic organizations, said on Thursday that reports of it removing mentions of Jesus Christ in their official book along with prayers and poems that reference Christian imagery were false. The...
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2013-29-03
Thursday, 03 January 2013 10:29 PM
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