HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0315.000 1998-2000 ELc i',,'`
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T0: Council of the County of Hawaii '9917fly 28 p~ g 15
FROM: Arthur J. Arian, Constituient of the Pu~~~t C~~~,~
COUNTY OF HAW~~
DATE: May 26, 1999
RE: Request that the County "Amend the Rules of the
Council Relating to Order of Business."
As a constituient of District 5 of Hawaii, I hereby respectfully
request that the County Council visit the appropriateness of
having an opening prayer. I believe that opening legislative
sessions with prayers is an unwise and undesirable practice
even though it has been sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
A prayer is an expression of devout petition to God or a diety.
It is by definition a religious act.
Government in our democracy, both state and national, must
be neutral in matters of religious theory, doctrine, and
practice. It may not be hostile to any religion or to the
advocacy of no-religion; and it may not aid, foster, or
promote one religion or religious theory against another
or even against the militant opposite. The First Amendment
mandates governmental neutrality between religion and
religion and between religion and non-religion.
Epperson v. Arkansas, 3939 U.S. 97, 103-104 (1968) (footnote
omitted). Religion "must be a private matter for the individual,
families and the institutions of private choice...." Lemon v.
Kurtzman. 403 U.S. 602,625(1970)
To place religion in the public sphere does not achieve the
effect of honoring religion. Strict separation of religion
and state will not rob The County of Hawaii of its spiritual
identity. The reason different faiths and religions flourish
in this state is because we accept all as equal and deserving
of consideration. Eliminating opening prayers will invigorate
both the "spirit of religion" and the "spirit of freedom."
It is neither sacrilegious nor anit-religious to say that
each separate government in this country should stay out
of the business of writing or sanctioning official prayers
and leave that purely religious function to the people
themselves and to those the people choose to look to for 3 /Jr~
religious guidance. Comm. No.
Engel v. Vitale 370 U.S. 421,435(1962). File No.__~
hesenfed F C'.
Ref. To:---------a--~-
Ref. Date M.AY 2 8 1999
In closing I strongly support the discontinuation of .»N.,.,,
the practice of opening Hawaii County Council sessions
with a prayer.