Atheist lawmaker opens Arizona House with godless prayer

Asking people not to bow their heads, an atheist lawmaker spoke of his “secular humanist tradition” while delivering a godless opening prayer to the Arizona House of Representatives.

On Tuesday, May 21, Juan Mendez, a 28-year-old Democratic State Representative from Tempe, Arizona, was given the task of delivering the opening prayer for the afternoon session of the House of Representatives. Instead of offering a prayer, Mendez spoke of his secular humanist tradition, while asking those in the room to recognize their shared humanity.

Mendez said:

Most prayers in this room begin with a request to bow your heads. I would like to ask that you not bow your heads. I would like to ask that you take a moment to look around the room at all of the men and women here, in this moment, sharing together this extraordinary experience of being alive and of dedicating ourselves to working toward improving the lives of the people in our state.

This is a room in which there are many challenging debates, many moments of tension, of ideological division, of frustration. But this is also a room where, as my secular humanist tradition stresses, by the very fact of being human, we have much more in common than we have differences. We share the same spectrum of potential for care, for compassion, for fear, for joy, for love.

After delivering his remarks to the House floor, Mendez said “I hope today marks the beginning of a new era in which Arizona’s non believers can feel as welcome and valued here as believers.”

What do you think about Mendez’s godless opening prayer? Is this a victory for secular Americans? Leave a comment - express yourself.

For more news, information and humor relevant to atheists, freethinkers, and secular humanists, check out Progressive Secular Humanist Examiner on Facebook.