Towns Can Continue Opening Local Meetings With Prayer, Justices Rule

A recent Supreme Court decision (5-4) ruled it permissible to continue opening public town meetings with a prayer from a “chaplain of the month.” Justice Anthony Kennedy said, “ceremonial prayer is but a recognition that ... many Americans deem that their own existence must be understood by precepts far beyond that authority of government to alter or define.” The case revolved around town meetings in Greece, N.Y., where most of the chaplains were from Christian denominations. The plaintiffs argued that they were forced to listen to sectarian preaching in order to participate in local government.

Although the Adventist Church did not participate in this case, Walter Carson, general counsel for the Columbia Union, noted that organizations the church often aligns with opposed the town’s prayer practices. “Personally, while interesting, I don’t believe the decision will have any direct impact on most Adventists,” he concluded.