The Freedom From Religion Foundation has been busy. City governments across the country are hearing from them about the practice of opening meetings with prayer. The newest target is Memphis. From Sunday's Commercial-Appeal:
In a letter of complaint sent this month, the Wisconsin-based foundation asked council members to stop the predominately Christian invocations and the "Chaplain of the Day" program, which sends clergy off with gift bags that include cufflinks engraved with the city emblem.
"The government isn't supposed to be in the religion business," said the foundation's co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor. "They're not separating their personal faith with their governmental duty. It's really crossing the line."
This year alone, FFRF has sent letters to the Wisconsin State Assembly, the Mayors of Chesapeake, VA, Independence, MO, and Lodi, CA, the Mayor and City Council President of Philadelphia, PA, city officials in Turlock, CA and North Richland Hills, TX, the Mayor and City Council of Toledo, OH, and the city of Tehapachi, CA,
I'm struck by how many city officials – like those interviewed in Memphis – react as if they are shoeked that there is the least controversy over the practice of starting a government meeting with a denominational prayer. If common sense doesn't suggest it, don't news reports of church-state disputes over the last several years at least raise an eyebrow?
