Darryl's Blog
Politicians and the Lord's Prayer
The Ontario government is asking for the public's views on whether or not to continue reciting the Lord's Prayer in the Legislature. CBC reports:
TORONTO - The Lord's Prayer and it's fate in the Ontario legislature set off a fresh round of debate Thursday after politicians quietly launched public consultation on whether the province should fall in line with other Canadian jurisdictions and strike the Christian tradition.
As an all-party committee prepares to hear from hundreds of faith groups, atheists, and members of the public, there is already a clear division between those who think opening the daily proceedings with the Lord's Prayer is outdated and those who consider it a vital Ontario tradition.
I belong to a group that's written to urge politicians to keep the Lord's Prayer in the legislature - a move that I'm struggling with.
Why ask politicians to pray the Lord's Prayer as a tradition? This seems to be the type of prayer that Jesus warned against in the same passage: insincere and for show. It invites our politicians to engage in hypocritical prayer, or at least rote prayer. I'd much rather see a moment of silence.
I'm not arguing for the removal of faith from public life, but I'm suggesting that we don't want people who aren't disciples forced to pray the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. Thoughts? Am I wrong?
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Dalton McGuinty, the Premier of Ontario recently proposed to eliminate
the reciting of the Lord?s Prayer from the start of sessions in the
Ontario Legislature. The idea is that the prayer is simply too
sectarian to reflect the cultural diversity of the province.
Mr. McGuinty recently was re-elected by defeating the party led by Mr.
John Tory, who was proposing a modification to the education funding
formula in the province (which currently provides full funding to Roman
Catholic schools, but no other) to include grants to all faith-based
schools who teach the provincial curriculum. Not only do many feel
that he lost over this single issue, but that he also jeopardized his
political future by suggesting such an equality exist.
Mr. McGuinty wants to eliminate the Lord?s Prayer because it reflects
the views of one faith group, and Mr. Tory thought (the cause probably
only exists now in his nightmares) to eliminate the school funding of
only one faith group. Under slightly different circumstances and
timing, these guys could easily be best friends.
Personally, I say if you?re willing to give funding to schools of all
faiths (Christian, Muslim, etc.) then I?m willing to accept a
rotation of opening prayers. But if you think that Catholic schools
have a special status, then you have to think the Lord?s Prayer has a
special status. (As it definitely does with Roman Catholics: Who
hasn?t left the confessional told to say five ?Hail Marys? and
five ?Our Fathers??)
But if you change the prayer, you have to be willing to change the
school funding. If you open the Legislature with prayers from
various faiths, you have to open the school grants to schools of
various faiths. It?s that simple.
...But I am also willing to defer to the person who wrote the editor of
The Toronto Star on Feb 15th: ?Who says we have to have a prayer
that 'reflects our diversity?' What about one that reflects our
heritage? ?It?s about time we realize that immigrants come here
because they like us the way we are.?
...Or the one who said, ??The prayer is composed of seven petitions
that are comprehensive expression of what can flow from a loving heart.
These petitions address our basic human needs for nourishment,
healing, help and protection in the battle of life. Not only does the
Lord?s Prayer reflect modern-day cultural diversity, but it also
serves as the foundation for Canada?s legislative policy??
Were you pressured by this group to help them petition to keep the prayer?
What social consequences is this group of yours going to hand out to you if you don't toe their line?
Did you actually sign something?
Whether legislative prayer is changed or not has squat to do with your responsibilities to the community, your church, family or government. And most certainly not God.
I'm sorry you have to do what your group wants. We forget pastors priests rabbis and imans have to play politics to please each other.
To answer your question, no.
I wasn't at the meeting. I just noticed in the minutes that it had been discussed, and one of the representatives was going to write to the local M.P. urging that the Legislature keep the Lord's Prayer. A friend of mine spoke against this at the meeting. I don't think there will be any negative consequences for me.
To be honest, I was a little surprised. I would have guessed that this group wouldn't have taken this view. It's not my denomination, by the way.
Let's have a moment of silence.