Ask an Atheist: Are prayers at city council meetings constitutional?

[yortsed snacilbuper]

[cp]

1. No

[suston96]

2. Not constitutional? So what do we do next?

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. As long as I am allowed to pray to Dr. Seuss also.

Just kidding. I know it's unlawful to mix gov'ment and religion....even if the religion is a fairy tale.

[LeftInTX]

4. We pray at our local Democratic Party

We've got a group of little old ladies who insist on it.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

6. I think gods a republican,

so don't expect him to answer your prayers?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. No. Prayers belong in houses of worship

or should simply be said privately.

It also pisses me off that the supposedly "nondenominational" prayers are only nondenominational if you're a Protestant. Any other religion whatsoever is left out.

Makes me want to volunteer to do the prayer at some place like a city council meeting and start praying the rosary.

[zanana1]

7. It takes courage to sit when others are standing and praying.

I go to AA meetings, and the Lord's prayer is always said at the end, with people holding hands. I always walk out when this is happening. When I explained that I was an atheist, the response was "Well, you have to have some kind of higher power to stay sober". My answer; "I've been sober for 40 years. Prayer had nothing to do with it". I get alot of dirty looks, but I'm not there for other people. I'm there to stay sober.

[FreepFryer]

8. +1. Good on you and I bet you help a lot of people make their own decisions about achieving sobriety

[markpkessinger]

9. The person or entity we should be asking is the Supreme Court . . . .

. . . and unfortunately, in the case Town of Greece v. Galloway, et al. (2014), the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the lower courts that such prayers were a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

So, for the time being at least, the answer is yes, they are constitutional, even if we don't think they should be.

See https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/12-696_bpm1.pdf