I am writing in support of the decision to curtail prayer and political discussion at Lewis County senior centers. I am a senior and a churchgoer.
Overt and audible prayer in a public, non-church setting, especially one that has government funding, is inappropriate for a number of reasons:
1. Not everyone who is present is a Christian, and some may be members of an entirely different religion. Even the Lord's Prayer varies between different churches. I once heard tell of how when prayer was still allowed in schools, saying the Lord's Prayer every day became a noisy competition between Protestants, Catholics and Episcopalians, and not a unifying exercise.
2. Some people have been subject to mistreatment or abuse in a religious setting (or with religious overtones), and overt prayer can be triggering for them. When you do this in a public setting, it makes that place feel unsafe and unwelcoming for them.
3. When you pray overtly in a government-sponsored or government-funded venue, it gives the appearance of government support for your religion. This is detestable from a constitutional view.
4. To make a display of one's prayer before others is against the words of Jesus himself, as outlined in Matthew 6:5-6. In paraphrase, those who pray out loud in public do so to draw attention to themselves, and not to God. The sincere and humble believer prays quietly in a private place.
As for limiting political discussions, that cuts both ways. We are living in highly charged and polarized times. There are people who say that all Democrats are "against God," which in my opinion is hate speech, as it can lead to violence. There are also people who will say that anyone who supports Donald Trump is either a fool, a scoundrel or both. Such opinions should be kept private and not brought out in public settings, as they can roil people's sensibilities and lead to disturbance of the peace.
I know that it may feel to some as if their free speech is being curtailed in a heavy-handed and authoritarian way. Please understand that these restrictions are being put forth for the greater good and well being of all parties. If you want to mouth off about religion or politics and rub others the wrong way, well, all I can say is try that in a bar sometime (where people's inhibitions are lowered) and see how far it gets you.
David Underwood
Centralia
