"Part of what
we are trying to do here is to maintain a multi-religious society in a peaceful
and harmonious way. And every time the court gets involved in something like
this, it seems to make the problem worse rather than better." - Supreme Court
Justice Elena Kagan
The issue at hand is the Supreme Court's examination of proper
guidelines for prayer in public meetings. The dispute rose from two Greece, NY
residents complaining that having to sit through predominantly Christian
prayers during Town Board meetings violated their 1st amendment
rights to religious freedom.
Oddly enough a case
this sensitive and complex is something I consider that is pretty simple. In my
opinion I feel that though you can’t control the religion of others, I believe
that you shouldn’t be forced to participate in the religious acts of others in
a public setting. Town Board meetings are already tense as they serve as the place
where community issues are being disputed and debated. I think having secular
religious prayers that specifically indicate one religion is off-putting to
those who don’t share the same beliefs, therefore should never be considered to
be a part of public forums.
"What troubles
me about this case is that here a citizen is going to a local community board …
and is immediately being asked, being forced to identify whether she believes
in the things that most of the people in the room believe in, and it strikes me
that this might be inconsistent with this understanding that when we relate to
our government, we all do so as Americans, and not as Jews and not as Christians
and not as nonbelievers." – Kagan
In all essence
there are many things to consider, including the consideration of whether
ministers and religious leaders should be policed. But in grand scheme of
things, a public meeting isn’t about isolating others and focusing on one
secular belief. It’s about bringing a diverse crowd together; and ironically,
prayers no longer do that in this ever evolving world we live in.
