I wonder if other readers noticed a curious contradiction between a front-page article and a letter to the editor in the May 27 edition of The Reflector. The front-page (top left) article was about people who basically want prayer at the Battle Ground City Council meetings. The excellent, detailed letter to the editor by a retired Walla Walla University librarian—quoting the writers of the US Constitution—addressed the separation of church and state. And how the founders explicitly did not want a state religion! This separation is often hard for people who are enthusiastic about sharing their religious views to absorb. People forget that the Pilgrims came to America to be free from the state religion (the Church of England). They wanted to be free to practice their own religion as they saw fit—and theirs was the right one, of course! Naturally, this led to religious splinter groups. The last thing the framers wanted was a state religion and to repeat the religious wars of the past.
It was a pleasure to read that the council decided to seek information on how other similar entities handle the invocation matter—for guidance. I’ll be interested to learn what they find out. On the surface, the way the Clark County Council handles the issue (with religious leaders and other interested parties volunteering to lead the invocation on a rotating basis) seems like a good solution.
Either of the suggestions above could result in a reasonable way to deal with this concern. Another possibility is for the chair to ask for a few minutes of silence for contemplation of a constructive meeting. That would be an open-ended invitation to visualization, deep breathing, and even prayer.
Pamela Webster
Ridgefield
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Letters To The Editor
Email: letters@thereflector.com
Mail: The Reflector, Attention: Letters to the Editor,
209 E Main St., Suite 121, Battle Ground, WA 98604
