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Dump prayers, says crusader
Read the article / show / issue that provoked me to write a letter and my response below that or go straight to my response
Date Posted on this Site
January 21, 2007
Publication
Toronto Star
Publication Date
January 19, 2007
Published Content
Wants silent moments to replace generic versions of prayers at council meetings
By Phinjo Gombu
Henry Beissel is unrepentant in his crusade to get rid of the Lord's Prayer from municipal council meetings across the Greater Toronto Are and the rest of Ontario.
As one of the founding members of Secular Ontario last fall, the forme English professor from Concordia University said the goal, however, extends beyond the Lord's Prayer to the non-denominational prayers that are now used by several GTA councils.
"Yes I've seen them and I find them just as objectionable as the Lord's Prayer," said Beissel yesterday, one day after a Durham Region committee – at his group's request – tweaked the rules and decided to recommend the prayer be said "before" a meeting was called to order so as not to offend non-Christians.
"To me, the solution of the problem, if there is one, and for some it is, is to have moments and minutes of silence," he said. "It's good fo gathering your thoughts and focusing in these hectic times."
Since a 1999 Ontario Court of Appeal ruling against the town of Penetanguishene, which said reciting the Lord's Prayer violates the Charter of Rights of non-Christians attending council meetings, attempts have been made to include some form of prayer.
The vast majority of GTA municipalities, except Brampton, Mississaug and Oshawa, have since stopped using the Lord's Prayer at council meetings.
At Queen's Park, the tradition continues with the speaker reading the Lord's Prayer before the legislative assembly sits.
Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell said yesterday that reciting the prayer in her culturally diverse city is a non-issue because it is about tradition as much as it is about belief.
"We accept tradition, we value it, we respect it. It's not an issue," she said.
Others such as Richmond Hill, Clarington, Peel Region and the Town of Oakville use replacement prayers they say do not violate any rights o beliefs.
Little is known about the origins of the replacement prayer used in Richmond Hill.
But in Clarington, east of Oshawa, it was written by former councillo Jim Schell, who ran unsuccessfully for the mayor's chair.
"God, creator and provider," the prayer begins, which Beissel said reeks of "creationism."
In the case of the non-denominational prayer used by Oakville council, which was written by former mayor Ann Mulvale, Beissel said he takes offence at the "paternalistic" view that God is the one who can grant understanding and patience.
"We need to rely upon ourselves if we want to address the problems that are besetting this planet," he said.
Clarington councillor Adrian Foster, who has no problem with the Lord's Prayer being removed from politics, suggested Beissel should relax.
"Most religions (believe in) some sort of Supreme Being, for lack of better word," said Foster, who is married to a United Church minister.
"If somebody has a personal belief that there is no God, what harm do you see of me if I believe that there is?
"My belief is as valid as your disbelief."
My Response Letter
What good comes from removing prayer and God from public fora? Is it so that non-Christians will not be offended? I doubt that many non-Christian Ontarians are overly fussed. They understand that Canada was founded by Christians, and that history and tradition are important for the health of any society.
Of course, if the goal is to remove God from all things, perhaps Secular Ontario should start by addressing the way in which our years are numbered, given that the calendar starts at Christ's birth. As well, I guess we should also remove any mention - from the malls, TV, and radio - of Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, as these holidays are Christian in origin. In fact, we should stop using the word holiday, which is derivative of holy day.
Oh yes, and while we're at it, I am sure that Secular Ontario would also like us to tear up the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as it states unequivocally that "Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law".
Jason Gennaro
Was my response published?
No
Did I get a response?
No