THE ISSUE
A group has expressed concern that the Wheaton City Council sanctions sectarian prayers before its regular meetings.
OUR VIEW
If prayers can’t be offered in a way that respects the diversity of beliefs, the city should stop them.
SPEAK UP
Should the Wheaton City Council stop offering prayers from local ministers before its regular meetings? Tell us what you think of this by leaving a comment below. You can also e-mail your comment here. Or leave a voice message at (630) 368-8882.
The city of Wheaton has a reputation as one of the most sincerely religious communities in the western suburbs.
It’s the proud home of Wheaton College, which counts the Rev. Billy Graham among its alumni. Churches large and small dot the town’s landscape.
Wheaton has such religious fervor that City Council meetings often are begun with prayers. Ministers serving local congregations offer an invocation before the regular civic proceedings get under way.
This practice has caught the attention of a Wisconsin-based group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Theodore Utchen of Wheaton, an FFRF officer, sent a letter earlier this year to city officials expressing his concern that some of the prayers offered before meetings had a decidedly Christian bent.
Citing invocations offered by local ministers, FFRF staff attorney Rebecca Kratz told Mayor Mike Gresk and members of the City Council in an Oct. 6 letter: “These prayers do not fall into the narrow exception of constitutionally permissible, government-sponsored prayer outlined by the Supreme Court. ... To avoid the divisiveness these prayers cause within the community, the solution is simple: Discontinue official, government prayers before legislative meetings. At a minimum, the city of Wheaton should require that any invocations given before council meetings comply with the Supreme Court’s requirements and be nonsectarian and nondenominational.”
Wheaton city attorney Jim Knippen said officials are reviewing the letter but haven’t yet formed an opinion.
It’s understandable that municipal leaders representing people so devoted to religious faith would want their proceedings to reflect the character of their constituents. Although they may be in the minority, non-Christians — those who practice a different religion and those who are nonbelievers — live in Wheaton, as well.
Sectarian prayers have no place at government proceedings. If these invocations aren’t offered in a way that respects the wide spectrum of beliefs, they shouldn’t be held.
