Phoenix ends council prayer over fear of Satanists.

[Omnitheo]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act ... ic-prayer/

For weeks now, Phoenix lawmakers have wrestled with the idea of allowing members of a Satanic group to give the invocation before an upcoming city meeting.

Phoenix City Council members arrived Wednesday at a controversial solution: Banning prayer altogether.

From now on, lawmakers decided in a 5-4 vote, council meetings will no longer begin with a traditional prayer, but instead open with a moment of silence.

More at the link

with separation of church and state it seems strange to me that city council meetings even opened with a prayer in the first place. It's a shame though that their decision to remove it was based out of intolerance rather than out of respect.

[Hmmm]

People who are Christian, should be intolerant of Satanists and should never want anything to do with them. Satan would be the cause of all human suffering as far as Christians are concerned. But again, you like so many others think everything is just fine, if you like it. Everything is NOT fine and somethings are just plain wrong. There is good and bad and it's ok to want to be on the good side. I suppose ISIL should be able to pray there to on behalf of jehad by your comment? You ok with with ISIL praying over you or your dinner? How about never? Are you intolerant? I am very intolerant of ISIL and anything or any other group that wants to kill people. Right and wrong and good and bad, still exist.

[Farmmaa]

Point being - separation of state and church.
There should be no praying before political meetings....unless they take the time to allow every faith, religion or point of view to also be represented at the same time.
Yes, including Muslims and Satanists.

[Omnitheo]

People who are Christian, should be intolerant of Satanists and should never want anything to do with them. Satan would be the cause of all human suffering as far as Christians are concerned. But again, you like so many others think everything is just fine, if you like it. Everything is NOT fine and somethings are just plain wrong. There is good and bad and it's ok to want to be on the good side. I suppose ISIL should be able to pray there to on behalf of jehad by your comment? You ok with with ISIL praying over you or your dinner? How about never? Are you intolerant? I am very intolerant of ISIL and anything or any other group that wants to kill people. Right and wrong and good and bad, still exist.

Wow, that's a huge accusation based on my comment.

My point about the decision being based on intolerance rather than respect was borne out of the idea that with Seperation of Church and state, there is no need for a prayer at all, but should they want to devote time to such an activity, then it must abide by the first amendment and other voices should not be stifled.

Basically rather than thinking "hey, due to Seperation of church and state, why are we injecting our religion into this non-spiritual real world discussion about issues affecting our city, especially when there are those who may not share these beliefs but still wish to participate in civil matters as is their right as a citizen."

They instead decide to go with "let's just scrap the prayer altogether because we're afraid of other religions saying things that might offend us".

It's the right decision, but made for the wrong reasons.

As to your point about Christians being intolerant of satanists, well this is not what the bible teaches. The New Testament and Jesus's teachings are about love and tolerance. So no, Christians should not be intolerant. Further more, true Christians should in no way be offended or take offence to alternate prayers being given, for they themselves are taught that in their prayers they are praying to their lord, as He is to them.

Matthew 6:5-6
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.