The issue of prayers in council meetings

Doesn't God cover the lot of 'em?

But I can't see why they can't have a quick little pray on the way there. I bet some of them do. Probably along the lines of, "Oh God! Help me to get that stuck-up mare from finance off her high horse for once, "

Making prayers at council meetings compulsory could prove to be a bigger time waster than the meetings themselves often are. Start with Christian prayers (assuming all Christian denominations are prepared to share), then Muslim prayers, then Jewish prayers, then Hindu prayers, then Sikh prayers, then… depending on the make-up of the individual councils. Anything else would be unfair, unjust and elitist but I am not sure what the council could provide for its agnostic and atheist members. Of course, the order of precedence might have to change after each election. What a load of nonsense!

This member of the Tory party should shut up and go and pray for some common sense in private.

nina, the fucking around reference wasn't to anything you has posted. And it was meant to be a joke. You are, of course, quite right that threads are open to all.

Apparently some Conservative MP wants to make prayers in council meetings compulsory. Finger on the pulse of the nation... Not!

Ridiculous practice - especially given the corruption in local government

Any prayers are out of place before a council meeting , they are not about to go to war after all.

What about the councillor who is a Pagan [reformed] who can only pray in bushes?

Perhaps what I should have said was I don't agree with the prayers but I'm not concerned enough to protest.
I'm not trying to justify a post that was meant to raise a smile. Just clarifying my opinion.

I thought all threads were open to all thatbags in response to your post asking why the likes of me are f#@% around on this thread.

It's the damned "in your face"-type praying people are objecting to. How would you feel about atheists having an in-your-face time during council meetings? Would that be appropriate? No, of course not. Neither is public religiosity.

Prayers would not be made illegal, ana. People can pray any time they like but sometimes it isn't appropriate to do it publicly during tax-payer funded council business time. It's only the public and during council business time that was ruled illegal. Prayer is not part of council business except privately by individuals. Only the person praying needs to know they are doing it. absent's remark is spot on.

Over sixty years ago an American girl attended my school when her father was working in England, she said that she missed school asssembly when she was in America and had to start lessons straight away. I thought it odd at the time, but not now.

I like Nelliemoser's idea of mindfulness before the proceedings, people could silently pray if they chose, but anything that quietens the mind before making decisions sounds sensible, I know that some schools teach meditation and believe that it affects results.

Who would decide on the prayers? Would they be Christian prayers? What if 75% of the Councillors are Muslim or Jewish or Hindu?

Surely all this praying in public is in direct contradiction of what Jesus is reported as saying about prayer in the Gospel According to Matthew. Surely, therefore, it can hardly be Christian. Or is that just another pick 'n' mix?

It's just a prelude, prayers aren't being introduced into council business. Presumably some people do find the practice desirable. Those who don't can come in later (surely it's only a couple of minutes!).

I just object to any form of religious observance, anywhere, being made 'illegal'.

Ana Can you explain why it is necessary or desirable to introduce prayers into council business?

Yes, imposition was the word I was looking for.

Greenfinch, that's not a digression at all. It illustrates the imposition point very well. Thank you.

Why do councils need such a choice? Individual councillors already have full religious freedom. Making praying or sitting through praying time or having to leave during praying time is not giving the same freedom to people who don't belong to the established church as the people who want official praying time already have. It's an imposition. Not having prayers imposes on no-one and prevents no-one from following or practising their own faith/beliefs.

"The Bill is designed to overturn a High Court ruling that the practice of holding prayers during council meetings was unlawful. The ruling resulted from an application by the National Secular Society and a councillor who objected to such prayers." (from the NSS article of 9th January 2015).

So it's OK to make the practice illegal, but not OK to give Councils the choice?

We find grace before meals divisive in our household. We never say it as a family but we sometimes have guests who want to say it. Out of politeness my DH allows this to happen but in private later he blows his top although we don't challenge the one who wants to say it. We find it offensive in a group made up of atheists, Christians, believers in other faiths and those who could not care less . Surely they could just offer up their thanks in silence if they so wish. Apologies for digressing.

Well, I do care and I think it is totally wrong that, in this day and age, such a practice is thought acceptable.

I feel that people who are truly committed to their faith would better demonstrate that commitment by going to church on Sunday and boosting the ever dwindling attendance numbers.

Meant to say the stuff inside "" is from the NSS website.

It's not over a year old. It's happening now.
"Posted: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 11:49
Council prayers bill makes progress: MP “rejoices” to live in country with established Church
The Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Bill to allow councillors to be summoned to pray has passed a further stage on its race to becoming law."

"summoned to pray"... OK, you can't make anyone pray but you shouldn't be able to force them to be where other people pray either. Councillors can pray in their own time if they want to and not restrict themselves to the established religion either if they don't wish to.

Can't help wondering why people who don't give a fuck about such things fuck around on threads about such things. I suppose it's just to let us know they don't give a fuck. Sweet of them.

Quite Leticia, you can attend, but no one can actually make you pray!