By Gene Paleno
I was reminded by a months-old copy of the Record-Bee that the Clearlake City Council OK’d prayer at their meetings. It’s high time Clearlake encouraged our citizens to ask for help from someone besides the city fathers. I say, to hell with the establishment clause in the First Amendment to our Constitution. That outmoded clause demonstrates the myopia of our founding fathers when they prohibited any relationship between religion and the state.
It might get a little sticky when a Satan worshiper steps up with an invocation to Lord Lucifer. Or what if the boys from ISIS decide to thank Allah and Mohammed for lopping off sinner’s heads? However, by the council’s own declaration, and to show how open-minded they are, the one-minute invocation is open to all faiths.
If you are worried the atheists might try hog the mic, I say look to the minister that was quoted in the Record-Bee article. He was right on target when he said, “What is an Atheist going to pray to?” When an atheist gets up to speak he will probably quote St. Paul and make fun of faith; “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The atheist will claim that’s proof we are expected to accept all claims in the good book without evidence or using logic. How ridiculous. How else can you practice faith?
Besides that, an atheist could not hope to give as good an invocation as a religious person. Take the Christian religion for example. With all the different Christian splinter groups to choose from, the poor atheist’s contribution couldn’t hold a candle to those invocations for content and colorful imagination. That’s not even taking into account the dozens of other major religions and their gods, from Baal, Ra, to Thor and Odin.
I would like to make my invocation at the council meeting. I’m still not sure what to ask for since I’m convinced that we should solve our own problems and not lean on the deity. Nevertheless, hats off to a far-thinking council that knows better than our founding fathers.
The logical next step we might hope for from the council members is for them to pray before every decision they make. That will guarantee God is in charge of Clearlake’s affairs. Even if God makes a mistake now and then in the voting, so what? You and I know He, She, or It, can’t do any worse than the city council.
