The Mayor of Sturgis, Michigan attempted to ensure the religious liberty of all residents, and protect the city from church-state lawsuits, by implementing a rule that opening invocations at council meetings must be non-sectarian in nature. What thanks did John Carmichael get? A recall petition!
Robert Magness, a Sturgis resident behind the recall effort, contends the rule is a First Amendment violation.
"Our country is founded on religious freedom and this form of religious censorship is something I find terribly objectionable," said Magness, 77.
"Sturgis is a typical Southwest Michigan community and for the most part I'd say we're a Christian community," he said, adding he views the city's invocation guidelines as "an anti-Christian bill."
It's not in fact "anti-Christian" to ask that invocations delivered on behalf of all the people, during meetings that conduct the public's business, do not promote a single faith. Negotiating ceremonial, non-sectarian prayer can be messy – and may not feel like the kind of prayer that is appropriate to give, depending on your beliefs. But that's just a good reason to do away with the practice of government invocations altogether, not the occasion to offend the religious liberty of huge segments of a city's population, and place the taxpayers in legal jeopardy in the process.
