Hawaii Senate bends to ACLU, ends daily prayer

The Hawaii state Senate knuckled under to pressure from the ACLU and ended a tradition of starting each session with prayer, according to a report at The Blaze. 

The ACLU responded to a complaint filed last summer by a citizen who objected to prayers that reference Jesus Christ.

In Hawaii, the Senate normally invites speakers from different religions to address the legislative body, but Majority Leader Brickwood Galuteria (D) said the practice probably would not survive a court challenge.

“Above all, our responsibility is to adhere to the Constitution," he said.

Meredith Jessup writes at The Blaze:

A three-member Senate committee formed to evaluate the issue recommended allowing nonsectarian, nonpolitical invocations that avoided references to deities, but the legislative body decided to do away with prayers altogether rather than constrain them.

According to the Washington Times, Senator Sam Slom - the only Republican in that state's Senate - asked to make the prayers voluntary instead of banning them completely:

"The Senate must stand for something and not back away when there are challenges by individuals or organizations who make it their point nationally to have this as an objective," Slom said. "As intelligent as we may be, we can still call on someone higher to help us and guide us."

Brett Harvey is an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization of Christian lawyers defending free faith speech. “They (the ACLU) continue to threaten governments with lawsuits to try to force them into capitulating to their view of society,” Harvey said, adding,  “Governments should take a stand for this cherished historical practice.”

But Mitch Kahle, founder of Hawaii Citizens for the Separation of State and Church had a different point of view.

“They’re a legal body, they make the laws, and they ought to follow them,” he said.  Kahle would have been a plaintiff in a potential ACLU lawsuit against Hawaii.

The last prayer uttered in the Senate was a Hawaiian-language invocation Wednesday.

Ironically, the web site for the Hawaii chapter of the ACLU noted that Wednesday, December 15, 2010 was "Bill of Rights Day":

Executive Director Vanessa Chong said, "The Bill of Rights captures the most fundamental values of the American people. It is a safeguard against abuses of power by the government. Thanks to the Bill of Rights, persons in this country have many key freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to equal treatment under law.  As we welcome a new administration to govern Hawaii, the ACLU is here to remind all people – including our elected officials – to know their rights and to uphold the Constitution for everyone.”

Except Christians who want to pray in the name of Jesus Christ in the Senate.

On Monday, January 24, 2011, at 7pm Pacific time, Joe will discuss this and other issues with Sharon Russell at blogtalkradio.com.  Be sure to listen and call with your thoughts - we want to hear from you.  The call-in number is (917) 932-1661