COUNCIL: No place for prayer

In response to Tom Hasslinger’s “Say a prayer” (Sept. 23), it is inappropriate for publicly elected officials — all of whom take an oath to uphold secular constitutions — to schedule prayer or open government proceedings with religious rituals/ceremonies/prayers.

Asking council members, constituents, visitors and guests at a secular government meeting to bow their heads and listen to a religious invocation is wrong-headed.

First, it makes a definite statement that humanists, secularists, agnostics, atheists and the non-religious are not equal citizens. Worldwide, about one billion people do not profess belief in any religion. (According to the 2012 Pew Research Center study, “Nones on the Rise,” one-fifth of American adults have no religious affiliation; that’s 46 million Americans.)

It also excludes all faiths not represented in that particular prayer. Since there are approximately 3,000 religions/faiths practiced in the world, there is no way that all religions can be represented. When would there be time for the meeting’s actual purpose?

Since there is no conceivable way for a government body to conduct prayers that will not inevitably exclude/divide various constituents, the sensible alternative is also the constitutional one — no proselytizing, no sectarian prayer, no religious invocations.

In no way does this restrict religious freedom. If some council-persons wish to pray, they may pray privately before meetings or begin with a fully-inclusive moment of silence. However, it is unreasonable to impose any one group’s religious beliefs on others. Religious worship has no place in secular government chambers that exist to serve ALL citizens.

ELIZABETH ROSE

Hayden