Several speak out against Christian invocation practice at council meetings

Several residents addressed the Rowlett City Council on Tuesday, March 5, during the citizens' forum about the council's invocation policy. The council made changes to its invocation policy in 2010 to comply with a request from The Freedom From Religion Foundation that that practice was illegal based on the Constitution of the United States.

The source of contention at the last council meeting was that the policy was pro-Christian and did not take in account the rights of residents who practice other religions or the absence of religion.

The first person to address the council was Rowlett resident Susette Geissler.

"Several years ago you were asked by several Rowlett citizens to discontinue the city council invocation because it amounted to government prayer in violation of the separation of church and state; instead what you did was to continue the invocation and bar anyone but Christians to give the invocation, effectively promoting Christianity over other religions and non-religions. This is shocking to me," Geissler said.

She then quoted the city charter pertaining to unethical behavior and told the council members they were not allowed to use their positions to give special privileges.

"By offering a strictly Christian invocation at each and every city council meeting, it gives the appearance that you and the city council are using your official position to secure special privileges or exemptions. You favor Christian invocation because you and the other members of the city council are Christians. The city council is elected at-large, representing all residents within the city limits. This includes Christians and non-Christians. Twenty-nine percent of our tax-paying citizens are excluded by a policy you created using taxpayer money to create and maintain," Geissler said. "Imagine if you were part of this 29 percent. Do the right thing, city council and mayor. Embrace diversity in our community. Open up the invocation to anyone that wants to give one ... or discontinue it altogether."

Following Geissler was Randy Word, the current president of North Texas Atheists. He said he was speaking on behalf of residents of Rowlett who are members of his group. Word told the council that the only way the city council could be fair and tolerant was to do away with the invocation or any religious procedure.

"As individuals the city council members have the right to pray any time anywhere they want --just not on government time," Word said.

Terry McDonald, director of Metroplex Atheists, addressed the council after Word. McDonald told the council he was speaking on behalf of Rowlett residents who felt they could not speak before the council themselves. He told the council that showing religious bias is against what the country was founded on.

"[Those of us speaking tonight] are reminding this council that this is America. We are all supposed to be equal and this council should be representing all people," McDonald said.

Chad Aldridge, a Rowlett resident, told the council that as a taxpayer he believed it was wrong for the council to exclude people of other faiths and non-faiths from the invocation.

"I ask that the council consider showing other residents the respect they deserve and pay taxes for by either having no invocation at all or by compromising and having a moment of silence for anyone to pray to who they choose to or not," Aldridge said.

Once Aldridge concluded, Julio Rosario said that he was tired of the government treating citizens of the United States like they are idiots by pandering to the popular religion for votes.

"It just bothers me a lot. The best way to solve this issue is to get rid of the invocation altogether," Rosario said. "Either that or you are going to have to let everybody in."

LaVerde Feagons wrapped up the discussion on the invocation by addressing the council about her concerns over the invocation excluding certain groups.

"Most of the folks that have come before me have given the same message I intended to give. I am going to ask you to think about how exclusionary it can be," Feagons said. "I looked at the city website today and saw that you had 55,000 residents as well as a Diversity Day that is coming in October. That shows me that your residents are very diverse and that also means diversity in religion. All of those religions should be respected."

The city council was not allowed to respond to the speakers since the issue was not on the agenda.

The Rowlett City Council holds its bimonthly council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Rowlett Municipal Building, 4000 Main St. For information on council meetings, visit www.rowlett.com.

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