Politics, prayer don’t mix

Public meetings can be opened with a 100 percent Christian prayer. Jesus Christ is the only true God and other gods are second rate. That seems fitting since Christians outnumber all other religions, and the majority should have the rule. When political majorities rule, the minority often cries foul. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling on public prayer silences any religious minority.

Introducing religion to a public meeting mixes religion and politics. That’s like mixing water and oil. Say I want to get a conditional use permit to divide my property, and the hearing opens with a Christian prayer. I must stand with everyone and fake praying to a God I might not worship just to not risk offending the political decision-makers ruling the hearing.

It seems by now that we should have realized that beliefs can’t be forced on others by political coercion or military force. Conservatives are often appalled by expressions of political correctness, but seem to relish religious correctness. Political hypocrisy tops my list, followed closely by religious hypocrisy. Praying before a political meeting can be a form of hypocrisy in that politics is a very corrupt activity. There is nothing holy about praying before politically harming your neighbor.

Pete Scobby

Newport, Wash.