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Group Presses 2 California Cities To End Sectarian Invocations

By Howard M. Friedman

The Freedom from Religion Foundation continues to demand that city councils across the country end the practice of opening their sessions with sectarian Christian prayer. Two California cities-- Tracy and Lodi-- are currently among its targets. The Tracy Press on Friday editorialized:

Tracy's prayer policy may be inclusive in its intentions, but it's exclusive in its practice of rotating only those religious leaders (all Christian, like the council) who have come forth to offer invocations. It makes political outsiders of those constituents who don't share religious beliefs.

Meanwhile the LA Church and State Examiner reports that Lodi City Council will consider a resolution next month to require that invocations be non-sectarian. However Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt's "Pray in Jesus' Name Project" that favors Lodi's existing policy plans a prayer vigil at city hall on August 5, the scheduled date of the City Council vote.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on July 12, 2009 (boomark / email).