Toledo Faith & Values

VIEWPOINTS: Should government meetings open with prayer?

David Yonke | Aug 31, 2012 | Comments (2)

Some government bodies, including the City of Toledo, have been criticized for opening publicl meetings with prayer. Do you feel it is appropriate or not to include prayer in a government session? If you believe it is OK, what guidelines, if any, should be given?

Topics: Politics, Government & Politics
Beliefs: Bahá'í, Buddhism, Christian - Catholic, Christian - Orthodox, Christian - Protestant/Other, Freethought (Atheist, Humanist, Agnostic), Hinduism, Interfaith, Islam, Judaism, Mormon, Other, Pagan/Wiccan, Sikh, Wicca & New Age
Tags: church and state, government, prayer

Comments

Jordan | Sep 3, 2012 | 10:08am

I’m going to pass on whether it’s appropriate or not :)

It would take some skill, I assume, to craft something together that truly honored all beliefs. I would hope that if a public meeting is opened up with prayer that it would be ‘open’ in context to recognize all values of faith. A diverse group of individuals knowing their differences, but having a common theme. That would be a divine sight.

At the end of the day it all seems to be ice cream, just different flavors.
jltrautman | Sep 3, 2012 | 10:40am

In my Communications position with the North American Interfaith Network, I observe that many city governments in the US and Canada open meetings with prayers from different faiths on a rotating basis. This seems to fit with a religious freedom tenet that means that the state may neither promote nor suppress any one particular form of religious expression. At the same time it avoids bland, homogenized prayers that might not really say anything.

In any case, if prayer, or a meditative moment, promotes a more civil dialog in our political arenas, we ought to welcome it.