The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is running a story concerning an American Civil Liberties Union suit in filed in federal court in Atlanta, Thursday that–according to the article–seeks to "end prayer that references one religion over another during Cobb [County] commission and planning commission meetings."
The prayers are said by the commissioners themselves, invoke Jesus, and are voluntary.
This is a tricky issue insofar as the debate about sectarian prayer in civic contexts is not necessarily a debate about the Christian Right or dominionism. Issues of local culture and simple tradition are involved often, and individuals uttering such prayers are not always Christians with effectively Christian supremacist or dominionist worldviews, goals, or intentions.
Nonetheless, the dominionism and public prayer debates are never mutually exclusive, either. Once a governmental proceeding includes public prayer, voluntary or not, and especially if the prayer is sectarian–that is, aligned with a specific religion–then religion and the state have become mixed, and a host of questions arise: should we allow prayers from other religions? if so, which ones–Islam, Wicca, Mormon, Jewish? if not, then are we being discriminatory? what if no one’s complained yet? what if someone does later? what about a moment of silence? what about a prayer that strives (though it will fail in this goal) to be applicable to all religions? what about a deistic prayer (besides, no Hindus live in the area…right?), etc., etc., etc.
Shockingly often what is lost in all of those questions is the simple fact that all potential substantive controversy could be done away with if the prayer simply didn’t occur.
No state prayer; no problems. Period. It’s that simple.
When presented with this elementary observation, the proponents of these public prayers in governmental contexts usually show their true colors. Some shrug, see a valid point, realize that the business of government is government, skip the prayers in the future, and get on with business. (After all, are we not supposedly a pragmatic people, we Americans?
Conversely…those who push back when presented with this elementary observation must, by definition, see the prayer itself as what matters, not governance–otherwise they, too, would perceive that state prayer is essentially unnecessary, and move on, having acknowledged that the entire agenda of a meeting and the array of issues a governing body must deal with should be paramount.
But, many state prayer proponents at that point are, in fact, willing to jeopardize agendas and debates on issues in the name of fighting for prayer, or, similarly, they are willing to make state prayer the issue or agenda itself, allowing the controversy to eat up all the limited time and energy–at taxpayers’ expense–that the governing body in question has to draw from, whether that body is the U.S. Congress or a board of aldermen. Such "agenda-jacking," to coin a tern, is not only selfish, but it is in practice and effect the subordination of the state, of the act of governance itself, to religion.
Nowhere in the words of any of our nation’s Founders will you ever find a statement that suggests that the subordination under religion of government work–or government as an institution–was ever, in anyway, intended; for nowhere in the words of any of our nation’s Founders, nor in the Constitution, will you ever find the sentiment insinuated or made explicit that the Founders felt America might as well not exist, ought not exist, if it wasn’t Christian.
No author of our liberties ever wrote or said: "Better dead than secular," or "Better no liberties and Christian than liberties in a non-Christian nation."
Even the hyper-religious Christian patriot of our Founders’ era, Nathan Hale said, "Give me liberty or give me death," not "Give me Christ [or God, or religion, or prayer] or give me death." He was not a martyr for Christ; he was not slain in an arena before Roman lions; the British who hanged him were not gladiators–in fact, they prayed to the same god Hale did. Hale was a martyr for liberty, including liberty from imposed religion.
So, at the end of the day, each debate about state prayer may not begin as a debate about a dominionist agenda, but when it persists, always ends as such.
The article:
A lawsuit challenging government prayer in Cobb County will not affect how Gwinnett commissioners pray in public, county leaders said Thursday.
The ACLU, filing suit on behalf of five Cobb residents, said clergy invited by the county to lead prayers routinely reference Jesus Christ.
Gwinnett commissioners also begin their meetings with an invocation prior to the Pledge of Allegiance. County employees volunteer to lead the prayer, which is rotated among departments, said County Administrator Jock Connell.
Commissioners put no restrictions on what can be said during opening prayers, said Connell, who has led many in his time in county government.
"I would end just about every prayer with, ‘We ask these things in Christ’s name,’ " he said. "I probably would not be willing to pray in any other manner myself. I would probably just have to decline the invitation."
Connell said he would not recommend changing the county’s policy on pre-meeting prayers, maintaining they are within the law.
County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister and Commissioner Lorraine Green agreed, saying they have no problem with the voluntary prayers or references to Jesus.
Green said she asked about the prayers when she took office in January. She wanted to be sure the county was on solid legal ground given recent battles over the Ten Commandments.
"We were assured what we did pass legal muster," she said. "It’s something no one has ever indicated they’re uncomfortable with."
Commissioner Bert Nasuti said the issue came up when he served as chairman of the Gwinnett Planning Commission. The board, which makes recommendations to commissioners on zoning issues, was split on whether to have prayers before their meetings. They settled on a moment of silence.
Nasuti said he believes the county is within the law because the prayers are voluntary and not done by clergy.
