California Town Votes To Continue Sectarian Prayers Before Public Meetings

Members of the Lodi, Calif., City Council voted unanimously last month to continue their practice of opening meetings with prayer, even though the invocations often reflect sectarian perspectives.

The issue has roiled the community for months. The council opens its meetings with religious invocations, and many pastors prayed “in Jesus’ name,” despite a council policy that called for “non-denominational and non-sectarian” prayer.

In May, the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Wisconsin warned the council to stop using sectarian prayers and raised the possibility of a lawsuit.

Some residents proposed a moment of silence as a way to resolve the issue, and the council announced it would take some time to study the matter.

Unfortunately, the situation quickly became a magnet for controversy and overheated rhetoric. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, a former Navy chaplain who is trying to become a Religious Right leader, began agitating over the issue and even promised to erect billboards attacking council members who voted for a moment of silence or non-sectarian prayer.

Klingenschmitt, who does not live in Lodi, collected signatures on a pro-prayer petition, but most of the signers were not local.

Community residents who support church-state separation pulled together to support a moment of silence. David Diskin formed Lodi United, a group of believers and non-believers who joined forces to stand up for pluralism and real religious freedom.

“We believe that all Lodi residents should feel welcome at city council meetings,” the group’s Web site asserted. “You can likely sympathize with those who feel uncomfortable when a prayer of a different denomination is given. Sectarian prayer can divide a community and make minorities feel unwanted.”

Lodi United organized at the local level, educated the population, held rallies and even started a Facebook page.

On the night of the vote, Diskin addressed the council.

“Tonight isn’t about my choice of religion, or yours; it’s about the beautiful diversity that Lodi enjoys,” he said. “We are overwhelmingly Christian, but we cannot forget the growing community of Muslims, Sikhs and non-believers. We have Jews, Hindus and Buddhists. We have Wiccans, Pagans and Scientologists. Lodi is certainly a melting pot.”

But in the end it was not enough. The council met Sept. 30 and voted 5-0 to allow religious leaders to use sectarian prayer.

Mayor Larry Hansen criticized opponents of official prayer.

“We spend money and time worshipping professional athletes, but if we try to worship Jesus Christ, we get silenced and criticized,” he said.

Council members said they would draft a new policy that will encourage many different types of religious leaders to recite prayers and will also include non-religious people, who will be given an opportunity to present a “Call to Civic Responsibility.”

The Lodi News-Sentinel reported that about 500 people gathered on a street outside city hall during the meeting. Many hoisted homemade signs, with spirited debates erupting between policy proponents and opponents.