Is prayer permitted at the opening of a meeting of a public body, such as a city council?
Yes. In a 1983 decision (Marsh v. Chambers), the United States Supreme Court held that the Nebraska Legislature did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution by allowing a prayer to be said at the opening of its sessions. The Court based its decision on the fact that “[t]he opening of sessions of legislative and other deliberative public bodies with prayer is deeply embedded in the history and tradition of this country” and “[t]his unique history leads [the Court] to accept the interpretation of the First Amendment draftsmen who saw no real threat to the Establishment Clause arising from a practice of prayer . . .” Essentially, the Supreme Court determined that the offering of an invocational prayer at the opening of a public meeting does not rise to the level of the “establishment of religion” by the body holding that meeting, and is thus not prohibited by the Constitution.
Related Questions
- When is the next public meeting of the Hearing Examiner, Planning Commission, Houghton Community Council, City Council, and/or Design Review Board?
- WHEN IS THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE HEARING EXAMINER, PLANNING COMMISSION, HOUGHTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL?
- Is prayer permitted at the opening of a meeting of a public body, such as a city council?
