MOVING PRAYER

I recently attended a city commission meeting in the city where I pastor. On the agenda was a vote to move the opening prayer and pledge BEFORE the opening gavel. This was apparently done to accommodate recent opposition by local "atheists" concerning prayer in a public meeting. Truthfully, it is very probable that attendees will not even notice the move. It's just that the gavel falls at a different moment - after the prayer and pledge - making the two items NOT part of the meeting. Sadly, I understand the commission's attempt to satisfy the atheistic objection and save legal fees (to defend what is legal), but it won't be long before the "atheists" are back to object to prayer at any time in the city-owned building.

You might notice I placed quotation marks around the word "atheist". I don't think there is such a thing. I think those who use the label suggesting they don't believe in God simply WISH He didn't exist. When the infamous "atheist" Madelyn Murray O'Hair was asked why, if she didn't believe in God, she continued to fight against Him, she reportedly answered, "because He won't leave me alone." It seems God is quite an inconvenience to "atheists".

I am saddened that MOVING PRAYER refers to a legal concession rather than a personal and powerful communication with the very real and living God. Just sayin'...

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