By RANDY SMITH
New Albany’s nine council members earned their paychecks last Thursday. The Tribune covered the council proceedings quite thoroughly over the next several days. A few times a year, it takes several days for reporters to adequately cover the actions of the city’s legislative body.
Whether you agree with the decisions made by the council members that evening (and frankly, I think some of their decisions were just foolish), there is little doubt that serving on the council is a grueling, often dreary, and always difficult duty.
One subtle change in the council’s regular mode of operation went unreported, however, and it motivated me to offer a few ideas for the members’ consideration.
By the will of our elected officials, each council meeting begins with public prayer. Any person wishing to engage with or simply follow the actions of New Albany’s finances and policy is first required to recite or hear a version of a prayer suggested by Jesus Christ. At least, that had been the custom.
Last Thursday, in keeping with the official ordinance governing those meetings, council president John Gonder invited 2 of the ministers present to offer prayer. The Rev. Donnie Blevins, a former council member, encouraged attendees to join him in a recitation of what is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer.” That ceremony was followed by an earnest prayer from the Rev. C. Allen Colwell.
As Christian prayers go, they were just fine.
Now some may question why people who just want to petition their government or get first-hand knowledge of legislation must first be the audience for a religious conversation between a believer of a particular faith and his or her particular god or goddess.
Those questioners are missing the point. In this city, if a majority agree to insert religious rituals into the process of government, anyone who objects is invited to bow to the majority’s wishes. It’s a little bit late to say that compulsory prayer is improper, offensive, unconstitutional, sacrilegious, or disrespectful to other beliefs. The majority has decided that if you want to observe your government in action you must submit to the (Christian) prayer or stay away.
If that is so (and it is), it puts a new light on what ought to be part of a government meeting.
There is no question that the council members need intercessory prayer. Theirs are difficult jobs. The decisions they make can have significant consequences. Likewise, there is no question that their constituents need intercessory prayer, for they must live with those consequences.
I believe that all of them, council member or constituent, need prayer. I hope that all of them are in regular communion with God, seeking His guidance and blessing, praising His name, and giving thanks for all of His blessings.
A solemn prayer meeting is perfectly appropriate before government meetings and ought to include all who share that belief. In fact, for city council meetings in New Albany, I’d be happy to organize a brief prayer meeting (perhaps in the hallway?) just before the government meeting.
Maybe the council could compel everyone inside the Third Floor Assembly Room to come out into the hall and pray with us. They’ve already decided that a Christian religious ceremony is appropriate before the meeting and that anyone who objects must absent themselves from the room or just “put up with it.”
In fact, now that the majority has decided the matter, it’s important to consider what other items ought to precede every meeting of the New Albany city council.
First on my list would be a sermon, or at least a homily from either clergy or layperson. Though strictly religious in nature, a good sermon would prepare the council and attendees for the hard work ahead. Some pastors can provide us with unique and enlightening perspectives on our lives. Some deacons can give us a reading from scripture. A preacher can tell a joke that makes us think. Council president Gonder could call all the little children to the front of the room for a “children’s sermon.” We could wrap that up with a hymn or praise chorus.
Don’t tell me that this would make people uncomfortable. The majority has already decided that all government meetings must have religious content. Adding more religious content could only add to the advantages of having compulsory prayer be the starting point for any assembly addressing sewer rates, preferential reimbursements for unfortunate occurrences, some untrue thing Steve Price heard on the grapevine, speed limits and fines, ordinance enforcement, or police pay. Not to mention using the police power to permit you to declare the street in front of your house to be a private parking space.
I can think of quite a few things that would focus the minds of all in attendance. The ordinance should be changed to also include: a health lesson; a manners lesson; a grooming lesson; a reading lesson; an economics lesson; a driving lesson; a speech lesson; a science lesson; and a civics lesson. One lesson for each council member.
Then, to burn off all that excess energy, the council could declare a recess and go outside to play for awhile. Milk and cookies would await them upon their return to the chambers.
Randy Smith is a New Albany resident and business owner.
