An Offensive Prayer

At a Davenport, Iowa, McCain/Palin rally Saturday the following invocation was offered by Rev. Arnold Conrad, retired minister of the Grace Evangelical Free Church. (Mr. McCain had not yet arrived.)

In part Rev. Conrad intoned: “I would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god - whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah - that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons.

“And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day.”

In my estimation this is an offensive prayer. It offends Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims. It offends Mr. Obama by implication. But even more it offends Rev. Conrad's God by presuming to tell that deity what to think and do: "guard your own reputation" and "step forward and honor your own name."

This odd pronouncement has set a new low standard for public prayer.