Not allowed to say prayers at council meetings anymore?

I was quite surprised that Prayers were no 1 on the Council agenda. I thought this was just a tradition not part of a Council meeting. As a rather elderly Christian lady I cannot see why they should be part of the actual agenda. They can be said before or after, giving people a chance to join in or not.

Blown out of all proportion.

UK

I don't think a council meeting is the place for religion - after all, politics and the work of a council should be secular, and having prayers of any faith at the beginning undermines that. It also marginalises anyone in the room who is not Christian, or is not religious, right from the outset. Religion is a private decision for an individual and should not be a part of public life, especially during time paid for by the multi-faith tax-paying public.

The councillors are elected officials in order to run the the ordinary business of the community. I really can not see where "Prayer" on the agenda relates to what people require a council to do.

Those who wish to pray can do so in the proper places of worship or in private and is certainly something that should not be on any council agenda. Its time consuming and in the wrong place.

I think you have picked up the wrong interpretation of what was said.

The ruling was that prayers cannot be COMPULSORY for everyone before council meetings. Those who want to can still meet for prayer before or after council business.

That is no threat to people of any religion and, rightly, draws a clear distinction between what IS and what IS NOT legitimate council business.

No. Not unless everyone agrees.

I suppose that 1952 was the last coronation at Westminster Abbey.

They will have to hold the next one in Scotland. (Like Charles' wedding).

Time to bring back the inquisition and the rack methinks!

I think it is uneccessary to have prayer meetings at a place of work.

Prayer i thought, was a personal, private action between you and god. Not a group 'prayer for all'

It seems to be one of the many outdated traditions that still infiltrate the way in which councils are run.

I totally agree with the ruling. Politics and religion should not be mixed. Do these Councillors want forgivness for their corrupt acts e.g. failing to declare interests?.

I agree it's the correct decision, there's plenty of time for those that wish to pray, both before and after meetings.

Why should Atheist have more rights than Christians. You agree because you are an atheist. Nothing more.

I am always surprised why Atheist want to force their beliefs on existence on everyone and everything. When all they are saying is that nothing has any meaning at all.

Ha ha ha ha - I am the moron am I. Please read your response and question. Or ask the person who is writing it to read it to you.

Logic is not high on your order of importance. - I am English and live in the UK but I guess your opinion matters more than reason..

Hi - seems my answer has got your attention more than anyone Else's. I guess it is because I have studied Atheism a bit more than you and confronted you with its ultimate conclusion. That seems to be the point you do not like most. My guess is that like most atheist it is an easy position to take and you assume it requires little thought. But you will find that the argument takes you to that conclusion eventually. Your anger is down to you not understanding what I am saying. I am not insulting you, like you are me. I am simply telling it like it is. Sorry if you only want to hear people of like minded simplistic opinions. This forum gives you everything and nothing.

Here is my last take on this - you say that everything is not meaningless to you. Great. that's a start. Would all the things you hold dear to you still have meaning if you did not exist. Do any of the things you mentioned, and they all seemed to be very centered on you, have any universal relevance. We all come to a conclusion about existence some time in our lives. Atheist would suggest the relevance and meaning of everything is whatever you personally give those things. People of faith would say there is a Universal relevance to everything. I think in the quiet moments we need to reflect on what it is we mean by what we believe. Atheism is not the belief in nothing and as you yourself have shown Atheist have very strong beliefs and are willing to defend them. What those beliefs are however is not really understood by some of you. You minimalise emotions by reducing them to chemical reactions and trivialise existence by beleiving the source of everything is nothing. Yet you turn around and say you see meaning in things. Like I said everything and nothing in this forum

God Bless you and I hope one day you will join us.

the BBC is supposed to British, but what I see is they will defend every religion but our own, **** scared in case they offend the Murdering Muslims