You can say this about the Hamilton County Commission. It is consistent — at least when it comes to offering a Christian prayer at the opening of every meeting. The most recent came Thursday, when Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin Taylor intoned a prayer and concluded it by saying, “All these blessings we ask in your son Jesus’ name, amen.” Such a conclusion undoubtedly pleases most area residents, but that does not make the practice right. Such an invocation violates the U.S. Constitution, and is a deliberate thumb in the eye to the many members of our community — Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and other religions — who follow different faiths.
Commission members — and Taylor — should know that. If they did not, they were reminded of it late last month when the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to commissioners noting that the body had invoked Jesus’ name in every 2012 prayer. That practice, the foundation correctly pointed out, rises to the level of endorsing a specific religion at public government meeting. Commissioners promised to study the issue and referred the matter to their attorney — Taylor –who promised to review the letter and advise commission members on how to respond.
That advice has not been forthcoming. Indeed, given the fact that Taylor offered a prayer of the type specifically mentioned in the letter, it would seem that his advice would be tainted if not useless. His actions — like those of commission members who listened to him pray in their presence — clearly indicates a preference for prayers at commission meetings to continue as they have in the past.
That understandably does not sit well with some members of the community — all presumably constituents of the various commissioners. Several attended Thursday’s meeting to protest the inclusive prayer. Tommy Coleman, one who rose to protest the practice, got it just right. “Your use of prayer in this chamber and its use in official government excludes, marginalizes, belittles other faiths and the people who practice.” Just so.
Any prayer tailored to the majority Christian community purposefully excludes members of other religions — Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs. Baha’is and others, as well as those who profess no faith at all. That’s no small matter in a community that is home to an increasingly diverse population.