School Board Asking Religious Leaders to Open Meetings With Prayer

http://www.theledger.com/article/20100316/NEWS/3165044/1338

Polk County School Board is apparently being run by religious fanatics who don’t understand the First Amendment.

“Polk County School Board members decided Tuesday to ask various religious leaders to open their meetings with prayer.

Board Member Frank O'Reilly suggested the idea. Currently, board members rotate turns to lead the group in a prayer before each meeting.

"We have a list of members of clergy throughout the area," O'Reilly said. "Include all of the religious people and we can end this," O'Reilly said, referring to recent scrutiny of the practice of prayers before government meetings.”

Fortunately, secularists, including a Jewish organization have spoken out against the proposal.

“Members of the Lakeland chapter of Atheists of Florida and its state leader spoke Monday at the Lakeland City Commission meeting, calling for an end to the invocations. Last month, the leadership of Temple Emanuel, the Jewish synagogue in Lakeland, sent letters to county, school board and Lakeland leaders, asking that the policy be altered to a moment of silence instead of a spoken prayer.”

What’s worrying though is that the decision was inspired by laws that already exist in Polk County.

“The change in policy brings the school board into alignment with the policies of several other government bodies in the county, including the Polk County Commission and the Lakeland City Commission.

The courts have tended to view that policy as more constitutionally sound than having elected officials, themselves, offer the prayers.”

Actually, what would be more constitutionally sound would be to not bring in religious figures to lead the prayers and instead have a moment of silence. If an official wishes to pray, he or she can do so privately without forcing it upon everyone else.