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Group Challenges Toledo City Council Invocations

By Howard M. Friedman

Continuing its efforts around the country to challenge invocations offered to open city council meetings, the Freedom from Religion Foundation announced yesterday that it had written to the mayor of Toledo, Ohio and the City Council president objecting to sectarian prayers that have been offered by clergy at Council meetings. The letter (full text) says that while Council apparently has no formal policy on the matter, a review of invocations delivered from January to August by local clergy reveals that they are rarely non-sectarian. Seven of the eleven invocations reviewed contained explicit or implicit references to Jesus. The letter was accompanied by a transcript of all the Toledo City Council invocations reviewed by the FFRF. The letter contends that "these Christian prayers inappropriately alienate non-Christians and non-believers in Toledo." WTOL News reported on the reaction of Toledo City Councilman Tom Waniewski who said: "Stop whining about things. I'm also tired of cow towing to a small minority that's a vocal minority."

Full post as published by Religion Clause on August 28, 2009 (boomark / email).