Silence is golden in prayer debate
Roanoke County is violating the First Amendment’s establishment clause with sectarian prayers at meetings.
We’re confident Roanoke County supervisors really don’t think they’re wronging anyone by inviting community clergy to deliver an invocation at the start of board meetings.
We’re also confident they are wronging someone who likely does not share residents’ majority Christian faith and has sought out the Freedom From Religion Foundation to intervene.
The county board would be wise to heed its advice and abandon the practice of opening meetings with sectarian prayer — or any prayer said aloud — to avoid another unnecessary First Amendment skirmish. The issue has been long settled by the courts, though, unfortunately, continually violated.
July 1, 2012 - 8:03 AM
moment of silence works…or
Given the fact that an opening prayer/invocation takes 1 minute, how about in the United States of the Easily Offended, a 7 pm meeting starts at 7 pm
with doors closed and a generic,sectarian prayer offered. At 7:02 doors reopen, atheists both on the councils and attendees enter chambers, join for the pledge of allegiance and the event is called to order and the agenda begun.
It is hilarious to me that the same folks who blow so apoplectic in gun rights or other discussions that posts are pulled, then make fun of people who believe in the separation of church and state. Gotta love it!
How about the governmental public meetings just let people do their praying the way Jesus told them to and get on with the business at hand?
Matthew 6:
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
How about we try that?
I just e-mailed the Board suggesting they keep the prayer BUT move it off the agenda and to the end of the meeting.
That way when the board meeting is over, those who don’t care for prayer can all leave. Those who really, really want it can stay after.
BUD, the reason your idea doesn’t work is because it shows the prayerful as being in the privileged position of occupying the chambers and the rest being shut out both physically and symbolically.
Scott..ludicrous.
Just saving those from a part of a meeting they find so objectionable.
Or maybe that isn’t the case and there’s something else in play here.