Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Religion & Law Blogs -> Religion Clause

Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

Prayer At South Carolina County Council Meetings Becomes Controversial

By Howard M. Friedman

Today's Spartanburg, South Carolina Herald Journal reports on the controversy over prayer at Spartanburg County Council meetings. The Council's chaplain-- Jerry Clevenger, a Sheriff's Office employee-- usually closes invocations by invoking Jesus' name. However, apparently the prayer policy provoked scrutiny when in March Councilman O'Neal Mintz filled in for the chaplain at one meeting and delivered a prayer condemning abortion and same-sex marriage. Now Unitarian minister Don Rollins is organizing a "silent protest" against opening meetings with Christian prayer, seeking to have prayers delivered by members of different faith communities. Council chairman Jeff Horton says that as a Christian he could not ask anyone not to pray in Jesus' name.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on July 11, 2010 (boomark / email).