Atheist group to give secular opening remark at city council meeting

[rug]

J.L. Atyeo
4:07 p.m. CDT May 8, 2014

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing governing bodies to open meetings with a prayer, an atheist group has signed up to give its own sort of blessing before a Sioux Falls City Council meeting.

After reading Mayor Mike Huether's reaction to the ruling in Tuesday's Argus Leader, Siouxland Freethinkers President Amanda Novotny contacted him about giving her own address.

Huether said the city offers volunteers to give prayers or motivational reading, accepting this from all denominations to "represent the increased diversity of our town."

A founder of another atheist group, Sioux Falls Freethinkers, said the prayers alienate people by forcing them to listen to one point of view.

http://www.argusleader.com/story/janelleatyeo/2014/05/08/atheist-group-secular-remark/8861467/

http://www.meetup.com/siouxland/

[HockeyMom]

1. Satanist in Florida want to pray

before the council there. lol This was posted here on DU.

[arely staircase]

2. this christian supports giving arheists

Any public platform given ro people of faith

[cbayer]

3. This religion "apologist" agrees.

[MineralMan]

4. Nothing new about this at all. In the mid 1970s,

I asked the County Board of Supervisors in the county in which I lived at that time if I could speak in place of their usual invocation, as an atheist. I made my request in a letter to the Chairperson of the Board. They had allowed others, including a Buddhist Monk, to speak at that time, so I requested to speak. My request was granted right away, and I did just that.

My "invocation" invoked the responsibility of reason in deliberating on their decisions. It exhorted that body to take into consideration the wishes of the entire community and to listen not only to those who spoke in public hearings on the behalf of business and real estate interests, but also to those who spoke in opposition. It reminded those elected officials of their responsibilities to honor the spirit of equality, justice, and the common good in every decision they made. Rather than an appeal to some "higher power" it appealed to the Constitution of the United States and of the state of California as the guide to correctly making decisions. In place of the typical "Amen," I said, "Thank you."

No controversy was involved in my representation of unbelief in supernatural entities before the board. I spoke, and then remained throughout the meeting, speaking again on a particular issue being discussed. I got no death threats or criticism for my non-religious "invocation."

I think that anyone who wishes to present any non-religious exhortation at the beginning of such a body should be allowed the same opportunity as those who offer some sort of prayer. I asked. I spoke. Reason won, in that the Board of Supervisors readily agreed to y appearance in the place of some religious leader.

[No Vested Interest]

5. I don't know, but suspect, there have been many instances such as yours.

We are and have always been a diverse country, and acceptance and respect for the views of others is part of our national makeup.
We may have often failed in that area, but there's always someone out there to pick up and try again, to get us back on track.

There was an OP the other day which shows a video of Hindu priest offering a prayer at a public meeting, during which he was most rudely interrupted several times. How sad.
We're better than that, and don't forget it.

[MineralMan]

6. I think it depends on where you are in this country.

In some places, fundamentalists of one sort or another seem to have control over public bodies, and will object strenuously to any other point of view being presented. That's what happened with that Hindu priest in Congress. Some moron House member from one of those placed believed that he had some sort of right to criticize a believer in some other religion. That kind of stupidity is more common than it should be in this country, and that's what we need to fight.

As an atheist, I don't have any problem with the beliefs of others, as long as their beliefs do not in any way restrict my disbelief or the expression of it. When that happens, my voice will always be raised.