HENRICO, VA—The
Board of Supervisors meetings in Henrico
County will no longer
begin with a prayer, as they have in the past.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation received a letter from a non-county
resident who'd attended a meeting and wrote that they found the prayer to be
offensive.
The foundation sent a letter to the Board requesting they no longer begin meetings
with a prayer, saying sectarian government prayer is unconstitutional.
"There's no need to pray, it's divisive, embarrassing. It really isn't
the government's job to get involved with religion," said Annie Laurie
Gaylor from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
After receiving the letter, the Board said they would stop praying before
meetings.
Joseph P. Rapisarda, the Henrico County Attorney issued the following
statement: "The Board was beefed on the legal ramifications of having a
sectarian prayer. After careful consideration, the Board decided to end the
practice of having an opening prayer, effective immediately."
It's a decision the Freedom From Religion Foundation says it's happy about.
"I think we'll have a lot of people happy that the county government
did the right thing," said Gaylor.
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors next meeting will take place July
24, without the preceding prayer.
Copyright 2012 by Young Broadcasting of Richmond
