To Pray, or Not to Pray (Meeting 2)

The March 18th Tampa City Council meeting began with its usual invocation and I stood up to pray along with everyone else in the room; well almost everyone else. The meeting was scheduled to begin with a time for public comment in which residents of Tampa could speak their minds on particular issues relating to the city council. I eventually found out that those who remained seated during the prayer were atheists who had come to protest the invocation that began every Tampa City Council meeting.

John Kieffer, president of Atheists of Florida, spearheaded that argument against the invocation. He argued that prayer should never take place in a government setting. Kieffer also sited the 1st Amendment is his argument. He said of the amendment, "It not only protects my right to speak, but it also protects my right not to speak." He believes that the invocation forces someone who may come to the meeting for secular business to take part in a religious act. He also says that simply choosing not to stand during the prayer isn't really a legitimate option. He states that by not standing, his fellow community may think of him as a bad person. He says it's not fair to put someone in that type of position. Kieffer believes that the prayer should be replaced with a moment of silence.

Next to speak was Matt Cooper, another member of Atheists of Florida. He argues that the invocation should be removed because it does not cover all religions. He sites that the prayer usually uses the word "Father" which is contrary to atheist beliefs that there is no form of a higher being. He also says that using the word "god" doesn't cover many Hindus because they often believe in multiple gods and goddesses. He finishes his argument by noting that Deists believe in a god that created the earth, but has no involvement in what happens there. By praying for God to be involved in the procedures of the council, Cooper says that this yet again eliminates many people from the prayer.

Some Christian leaders also spoke at the meeting in favor of keeping the invocation. Rev. Ron Sanders of Largo quoted Benjamin Franklin in his argument. According to Sanders, Franklin believed that the hand of God was very involved in the drafting of the United States Constitution. Franklin was also quoted as saying that he wanted a prayer to be prayed before every government meeting in the United States.

This wasn't the first time that atheists had fought against "religious acts" performed by the council. For months, many of these same atheists had been arguing against the invocation as well as the words "under God" spoken in the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of every meeting. At one point, they were even told to stop disrupting the recitation of the pledge. Council Chairman Thomas Scott had become fed up with the disruption of the meetings. He said that it is the right of the people to come and share their opinions at the meetings, but it is not their right to disrupt the meetings.

Council Member Marry Mulhern added the Supreme Court had already made a ruling regarding invocations at government meetings. According to the case, the Supreme Court ruled that an invocation is" not an establishment of religion by the government."

Councilman John Dingfelder then made a motion to reaffirm the practice of the invocation at the start of every meeting. Councilmen Charlie Miranda then stated the he refused to vote "yes" on a policy that needed no reaffirmation. "It's like being married to someone," Miranda said, "you don't have to reaffirm your marriage to them."

The council voted on the motion and it passed six votes to one. The Tampa City Council reaffirmed its stance on keeping the invocation at the beginning of every meeting. Whether or not the Atheists of Florida will continue to fight the policy remains to be seen.

To see more about the atheists' past protests, visit these links:

Atheists told to stop disrupting Tampa City Council meeting

Atheists object again to Tampa City Council prayer

Tampa City Council, atheists fight over Pledge of Allegiance