Parish Magazine Rant about Prayers in Council Meetings

From The Rectory

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my hitherto fairly irenic Parish Magazine items. This one, I’m afraid, might be a bit more controversial. I hope that’s okay? You see, the internet has made me mad! No doubt I’ll calm down soon, and what I say here could be qualified in all sorts of ways, but for now, here goes. Hold on to your hats!

I have just read that Bidiford Town Council in Devon has been told that it is illegal for it to hold prayers as part of its meetings. Now, that seems to be for a technical reason (that the council does not have the power to democratically decide to say prayers), which I think is nonsense (would it be illegal for it to vote to have drinking water or sing the national anthem as part of its meetings?). Anyway, I am no lawyer. You might think that’s a good thing!

What concerns me more are the arguments of the crusading National Secular Society which claims that prayers are an "inappropriate" ritual that breaches articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. They say that prayers have no place in "a secular environment concerned with civic business" and that they undermine an atheist individual's rights to freedom of conscience and not to face discrimination.

But we do not live in a secular society. Whether we recognise it or not, Jesus Christ is Lord. He is our Creator and the Redeemer of his people, risen from the dead, ascended and enthroned in heaven and he asserts his Crown Rights as King of the whole world.

But as it happens our constitution has recognised that Jesus Christ is Lord since before time immemorial. For example, Alfred the Great’s laws included the 10 Commandments, a few chapters from the Book of Exodus, and part of the Acts of the Apostles. Alfred divided his code into precisely 120 chapters because that was the age at which Moses (the Old Testament law-giver) died. Maybe a way of making laws just as good as some of the things that go on in the UK and Europe today!

Bidiford Town Council is thought to have been saying prayers since the time of Elizabeth I.

And still today we are, at least theoretically, a Christian nation. For example, in her Coronation service, Her Majesty the Queen promised “to the utmost of” her “power [to] maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel, the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law” and “maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England” and “preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them”.

Sittings in both Houses of Parliament still begin with prayers, as they have done since around 1567, so why a similar practice should be thought inappropriate for Bidiford Town Council is quite beyond me.

And, yes, I can see that it might be a good idea that attendance at those prayers is voluntary.

Militant campaigning atheists might not like it, but neutrality is impossible. Everyone has their ultimate “gods”, whether that is the Triune God of the Bible or some value such as supposed human autonomy. Beginning a council meeting without prayer is not a neutral act. If the atheist finds Christian prayers offensive, I am tempted to say that I find it offensive that any council should dare to presume to decide anything without humble prayer to Almighty God, from whom all authority derives.

Okay, rant over. Next time, a nice reflection on Spring, or something.

Rev’d Marc Lloyd