Prayer at Meetings, Banned? - Again? - Tracy, CA

Once again we hear about a group objecting to prayer opening a city council meeting. This time the story is from Tracy, California, and the group complaining is the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation. The group worries that those who are different religions or are of no religion might be offended.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is the only really controlling document on this issue. It prohibits the U.S. Congress from establishing a national religion. It doesn't say that a member of Congress (or its paid Chaplain) may not pray to God. It doesn't guarantee that people won't be offended by what happens at any government meeting from federal to local.

Perhaps California should change its constitution. The following is the entire Preamble of the California Constitution:

"We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution."

Read the whole story here (the issue is not yet resolved as I write this):

MercuryNews.com