Sectarian prayers not needed before meetings
The U.S. Supreme Court decided Tuesday it would not hear the Forsyth County’s appeal of a lower-court ruling that ended the practice of sectarian prayers being said prior to meetings of the county’s board of commissioners.
This prompted the Burke County Board of Education to ask its attorneys to develop a policy on prayers being said before its meetings.
The school board currently invites area ministers to open meetings with a prayer. Board Chair Catherine Thomas said this practice will continue until a policy is put in place. However, the board will communicate to the invited minister the prayer must be nonsectarian. In other words, there can be no mention of a deity.
Katherine Parker, the American Civil Liberties Union attorney who argued the case against Forsyth County in lower courts, told the Winston-Salem Journal the organization would be in contact with other cities and counties throughout the state to remind them the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had found the Forsyth County endorsed Christianity with its prayer policy.
Let’s hope none of the government bodies in Burke County end up getting this reminder from the ACLU.
One of the greatest things about being in America is our freedom of religion. We are allowed to worship any way of our choosing without fear of government persecution. And with this freedom comes the responsibility of our government to not endorse any religion. Even though Burke County is largely Christian, it’s not entirely Christian. We have to honor the beliefs of all our neighbors.
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