Raising holy heck over prayer

By Leslie Moriarty

Herald Writer

MARYSVILLE — The Marysville City Council is reconsidering its decision to start its meetings with prayer after doing so just once and running into problems.

Council members voted to take another look after a prayer at Monday’s meeting was given by police chaplain Dennis Niva.

Niva closed his invocation with, "In Jesus’ name we pray."

That prompted council member Suzanne Smith to ask that the council discuss prayer guidelines

"Not all of us are Christian," Smith said. "I think the prayer should be inclusive, not exclusive."

The subject of prayer, or invocation, was first discussed at a Jan. 7 council meeting. Council member Donna Wright introduced a measure to start the practice. It passed 5 to 2.

Smith said at that meeting she wasn’t opposed to the proposition, but wanted to research it more. She hoped leaders of various religions would be asked to give the invocations and that the prayers would be general in nature.

At Monday’s meeting, the council agreed to discuss it with more specifics, hoping to find a way to make the invocations nonsectarian.

Having prayer before city council meetings is fairly common nationally. Sometimes, however, it is controversial. Legislative prayers — nonsectarian requests for harmony and the divine blessings of the lawmaking body — have been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on the basis of historical precedent going back to the first Congress.

But the court has distinguished those invocations from sectarian prayers that might invoke a particular religion.

Marysville city attorney Grant Weed said the council should strive to make the invocations universal, and suggested it come up with guidelines for those who give prayers in the future.

"Maybe we will stay with a Christian prayer," Smith said. "But I think the council should get together and come up with some wording that will work."

Smith said that after the meeting someone thanked her, saying he was not a Christian and felt uncomfortable with the invocation.

"That’s exactly why I did what I did," she said. "This is a public meeting, and everyone should feel comfortable. I just think we can come up with something that is not specific to one denomination that will work better."

You can call Herald Writer Leslie Moriarty at 425-339-3436

or send e-mail to

moriarty@heraldnet.com.

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