An atheist is set to deliver the invocation in a western New York community whose town board won a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding its right to open meetings with a prayer.
Dan Courtney, 52, a mechanical engineer, said he asked the town of Greece right after the 5-4 decision in May for an opportunity to deliver the "non-theist" message.
The court's conservative majority declared the prayers in line with national traditions and said the content is not significant as long as the prayers don't denigrate non-Christians or try to win converts. The town argued persons of any faith were welcome to give the invocation.
Courtney said his request was granted without question and Tuesday's 6 p.m. meeting was the first open slot.
Town supervisor William Reilich said Monday a variety of views have been represented during invocations, citing the instance of a pagan Wiccan for one.
"It's not unusual that we have diversity," he said. "It's whoever comes up from the community."
This is all we ask right?
We don't expect everybody to give up their faith, or not practice it in public.
But if they insist on having Christian religious observances in public forums they simply have to allow others of differing faiths, or no faiths, to participate as well.
And they can't do this kind of crap either.
I don't know who was shouting out Christian prayers when that Indian fellow was trying to give the opening prayer, but whomever it was should be immediately ousted from their positions as government officials.
ReplyDeleteRepresentatives swear an oath to the Constitution, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States...".
The first Amendment guarantees freedom of religion and that fellow was exercising his first amendment rights by giving his Hindu prayer.
By shouting out, those people violated their oath(s) to the Constitution.
Hello, Operation Save America - antiabortion. Not officials at all. but I do think the appropriate remedy to these protests is a do-over, the following day, until the invocation is met with respectful silence. They may never get to hear a christian prayer again, by their own choosing, pig-headed as they are.
DeleteThis is my home town, and the local paper had an article about the prayer (see http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/07/15/atheist-gives-historic-invocation-greece/12714037/)
ReplyDeleteQuoting philosopher Immanuel Kant and drawing on the words of the Declaration of Independence, Dan Courtney made history on Tuesday speaking before the Greece Town Board.
Courtney, past president of the Free Thinkers of Upstate New York, delivered the first atheist invocation at a town board meeting, following the May U.S. Supreme Court decision that said Greece's practice of allowing sectarian prayer was permissible, as long as the town didn't discriminate.
Noting the Declaration's assertion that "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," Courtney said this central premise of the Founding Fathers "is today, more than ever, under assault. This central pillar of free society; this notion that is deeply heretical to authoritarian culture, proclaims that it is from the people that moral authority is derived.”
He urged the officials on the dais to "heed the counsel of the governed; to seek the wisdom of all citizens and to honor the enlightened wisdom and the profound courage" of the founders of American government.
And with that, Town Supervisor Bill Reilich thanked Courtney for his speech and the Town Board moved on with its business — although initial efforts to hold a moment of silence in memory of Deputy Supervisor Jerry Helfer, who died Sunday at age 48, were interrupted by the audience departing.
Outside, on the lawn of the Town Hall, free thinkers, atheists, non-religious, supportive religious and others gathered to decry the Supreme Court decision, and pledge that they will hold the court and governments to the decision's edict against discrimination.
"There is prejudice based on the misguided belief that belief in God is the only path to morality," said Ronald Lindsay, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry. "And we need to overcome that prejudice.”
The article continues a bit with reactions from others.
There is actually someone else on IM from Greece?!?!
DeleteI've lived here since 1999 and love the town, although it is quite conservative and Catholic compared to the city (where I work). As a fairly liberal Democrat and a person who long ago left the Catholic church and all other formal religion, I sometimes feel a bit outnumbered!
I'm really glad the Mr. Courtney was able to give this invocation and I hope that members of many different faiths, as well as other atheists, will continue to do so in the future.
And, by the way, Town Supervisor Bill Reilich (who I did NOT vote for), seems to have been pissing a lot of people off since he first took office in January!
Wow I always knew we Rochestarians were smart! Howdy neighbor! I'm from Pittsford :) Small world huh?
DeleteI'm not sure there are words to adequately describe how offended I am by her remarks. And coming from a woman no less...
ReplyDelete