Rose Law Group Reporter Gripe of the Week
Daily floor sessions at the Arizona Legislature commence with prayers voiced by lawmakers chosen by leadership. As a Senate reporter for seven years, this editor bowed his head at least 1,000 times, not in prayer, but to listen to the content.
The great majority of the prayers are Christian. I don’t recall hearing a Jewish, Muslim, or any non-Christian prayer.
Rep. Juan Mendez, a Phoenix Democrat and professed atheist, created a flap this week. He began urging colleagues “not to bow your heads.”
“I would like to ask that you take a moment to look around the room at all of the men and women here, in this moment, sharing together this extraordinary experience of being alive and of dedicating ourselves to working toward improving the lives of the people of our state,” Mendez said.
Among those who supported Mendez’s action, Rep. Jamescita Peshlakai (R-Cameron) noted many of the prayers offered are done so in the name of Jesus Christ.
“We have Native Americans out there that are not Christianized like myself,” she said.
On the other side, a lawmaker said repentance should be sought for Mendez’s breaking with tradition.
This column is not to knock the daily prayer tradition, but only to urge prayers or simple statements that don’t invoke the Almighty be allowed as part of daily business at the Legislature.
The prayer issue arose in a session that has become divisive in part over issues of religious freedoms.
Meanwhile, The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on whether an upstate New York town violated the Constitution by allowing public meetings to be opened with prayers that stressed Christianity.
How high should the wall between church and state be? This editor prays the justices will do the right thing.
