A prayer for the state’s lawmakers

The Lafayette Journal and Courier has a good editorial entitled A prayer for the state’s lawmakers.

As state legislators gather in coming weeks and months to do the public’s business, please remind them, God, that they represent people of a multitude of faiths — and of no faith at all.

Let lawmakers understand that people of good deeds and intentions have included Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Baptists and Buddhists, as well as atheists, Hindus and more than a few agnostics.

. . .

We’ve never quite understood the benefits of mixing government business and religion.

Certainly the faithful have opportunities to pray, alone or together, before and after legislative sessions.

Certainly they should use their beliefs to guide them as they consider legislation.

Is the public display of prayer more about religion or politics?
. . .

My sense is that praying during official government functions is mostly an attempt for a certain vocal minority of politically influential Christians to mark their territory.

The editorial concludes:

And although the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the individuals who launched the lawsuit lacked legal standing to challenge legislators’ right to sponsor Christian prayers in the Capitol, we pray that the ruling does not mean a return to sectarian prayers that do as much to divide Hoosiers as inspire lawmakers.

Rather, we ask that you give lawmakers the wisdom to understand that religious tolerance means more than protecting the rights of those with whom they agree. It means respecting those who hold different beliefs.

It means conducting the state’s business in a way that welcomes those of different faiths and is hospitable to those with none.

Amen, brother.