Pre-Meeting Prayer: Is This the Next Domino to Fall?

This afternoon's meeting of the Escambia County School Board became an excruciating exercise in restraint.

Listening first to a dissertation from our attorney about the ins and outs of pre-meeting prayer and the pros and cons, and the potential legal pitfalls, the ups and downs, the how we can do it but maybe we shouldn't--left my head spinning like a centrifuge and the issue about as clear as mud.

At the end of it I think her opinion is/was that we can continue to do our pre-meeting invocations but that to guarantee no litigation a moment of silence should be adopted as our policy.

I'll only go along with that if I'm forced to, or if the majority of the board votes to adopt this as a policy.

It came as a refreshing surprise that three board members stated they preferred to continue the long established practice of having each board member, on a rotational basis, bring a guest to deliver a pre-meeting prayer monthly.

For a moment I thought the pendulum had swung all the way, the last domino had fallen, and the board was going to completely capitulate on this issue.

All around the country-everywhere I look-people seem to just bow down and genuflect to the loudest voices in the room with ridiculous demands that are counter to the majority of the people's values.

Doesn't look like that is happening here yet, thankfully.

Invocations: Connection to the Schools is a Factor in Selection

So I’ve received several emails like this one, below, over the last two months.  I got this one yesterday…

"Dear Mr. Bergosh,

    Hello again,

    I am Celebrant XXXXX XXXXXX of XXXX XXXXXXXXX Rd. Pensacola XXXXX, and I am still interested in offering the Invocation for upcoming Escambia County School District meetings. 

    I, as a XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX, would be requesting you the board members make the best decisions you can with the education, knowledge and experience you have attained, without prejudice.  I ask this so that even we of minority philosophic thinking might still, with equality, be included in all governmental considerations for invocations per the Supreme Court of the United States.

    Would you consider me for an Invocation please?

Sincerely,

Cel XXXXX XXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX XX XXXX XXXXXXX

850-XXX-XXXX"

And as I think about the last eight years on the board, and all the folks that have come on my behalf and brought a pre-meeting prayer, I began reflecting on who it was that I invited and why. 

First of all, it is always someone that I know.  I’ve invited my pastor, the senior pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church, a man that is an incredible inspiration to me.  He is amazing and his sermons are LEGENDARY!  He also has a connection to our schools, as Hillcrest is the home church for many

 district employees and Hillcrest steps up and supports many area sports teams and booster associations, and they also run intramural basketball and baseball leagues that benefit many public school students. 

And then I think of the district volunteers that I have brought, people that are invested in our schools, including one man I’ve brought twice who was the state of Florida school volunteer of the year for 2013!

And I’ve given the invocation myself, and I’ve asked selected staff members to bring the invocations as well. 

A behavior coach that deals with elementary school students with behavior issues brought the prayer for me once.

And my bible study leader has brought invocations on my behalf-he and his wife have students in our elementary schools.

Everyone I have ever brought on my behalf to pray at our meeting has been either a personal friend or someone intimately familiar with and active in our schools, or both.

And they all have a strong, verifiable connection with our schools.  This is important.

So when I get unsolicited “offers” requesting that I “please pick me” to bring an invocation, I am cautious. 

After all, we’ve had some really pushy, arrogant folks DEMAND that we bring them; to prove we’re not BIGOTS recently.

More troubling, I’ve seen online threats the essence of which is “Tell them you’re going to come bring a Christian prayer, then do a satanic prayer instead, LOL”

I don’t want someone to rob this board of their opportunity to legitimately pray on important issues before a meeting.  I don’t want this board to be subjected to somebody’s prank.  I won’t have that when it is my turn to bring a guest.  It is simply too important and I won’t allow it, because, given this is such an important component of our meeting, designed and included for the benefit of the legislative body as we consider very important issues for action, I’m just not inclined to bring in folks right of the street who I don’t know and who have ZERO interest or connection to our schools.

The attorney for the board has spoken, saying our practice is legal but also that we should consider those of other faiths as our guests.  I’ve taken that to heart and I will bring a non-Christian as a guest soon.

But I’m not going to bring anyone that demands I bring them, or that threatens the dignity and solemn nature of this portion of our meetings—just so such an individual can make a headline.  Or just to prove I’m not a bigot to someone that could care less about our district or the students we serve. 

And I’ll never support going to a moment of silence instead—the only way I accept that is if I’m voted down by my peers or a court forces this.  Neither of these scenarios is likely.

Out Came The Prayer Rug!

So as we were about to begin the invocation prior to a very heavy school board meeting,  one of the individuals in the front row took a prayer mat, set it right next to the podium, and began mumbling and chanting incomprehensible gibberish as our invited pastor was trying to give a really heartfelt Christian invocation.

The assembled guests in the front row were visibly impacted by this spectacle.

(A part of me was surprised he didn’t attempt to light an incense candle start beating a drum or tambourine.)

Talk about a distraction! 

I was trying to listen carefully to what the minister was saying, but my attention was diverted by this stunt being performed rudely at the same time as the invocation.  And the chanting was loud enough that I could hear  in up on the dais, I could just imagine the nuisance level the poor minister had to deal with as he tried to deliver his prayer while that chanting and grunting was going on in his ear.

Insight into One Person's Motivation for Demanding he Bring the Invocation.....

A Pensacola resident, pictured above with his back turned to the dais and the speaker at last month's school board meeting, has stated 

"the longer I am delayed, the more obscure I'll make my prayer when they finally allow it. Right now they are Pagan-level cooperation. More rejection and delays and I'll go to FSM. If they keep obstructing, I go Satanic."

Really?  He'll go Satanic?  It sounds like a demand wrapped inside a threat.

My idea posted on this blog for accommodating Christians and other religions at our monthly board meetings drew a huge online attack-directed at me.  It really spun up 12-15 non- Christians around the country as they responded to another blog post (utilizing pseudonyms) that was full of inaccuracies, out-of-context quotations, and other propaganda anddisinformation.

 The individual who created this situation is also the guy who came to our last board meeting and  turned his back on the board and speaker during the invocation.   What a swell guy!  But, I’m not sure what he’s all spun up over, I mean,  according to him-one of my counterparts on the school board already offered him the opportunity to bring an invocation—but he summarily declined.

Apparently, he wants to be accommodated on HIS terms only…

This individual was upset with me because I would not acquiesce to his DEMAND that I allow him to skip the line, putting him in the slot to speak ahead of 300,000 other Escambia County Residents, to give the August invocation as my invited guest.  He was rude about it, mis-characterizing a phone conversation we had, and emailing other board members his inaccurate and badly flawed view of our phone conversation.

At least one board member, apparently, has seen this guy's email and is under the naive, mistaken belief that his words are my words.  They're not, and I'll correct this board member at the next workshop.  I thought I made myself clear at the last workshop but perhaps this one board member did not hear what I said.

But I digress... 

Make no mistake:  This guy pictured and quoted above, David Suhor, wants to make a splash in the news, make a name for himself, and come to our meeting and do something outrageous-that's my opinion based upon his actions and statements lately.  His comments from an online blog post, attacking me, are telling of his intent and those of his cronies.  I’ll re-state this emphatically-I’m not participating in someone’s prank.  Check out what the real intention is, what many of us have suspected, based upon David’s (and others’) comments on this subject, below, from “The Friendly Atheist”:

David Suhor (posting under the pseudonym an apple biter) Stated:

“The one SB member who gave me the OK is backing off, saying she may have to give that date to a new SB member after the election. The others are not responding to multiple requests from Humanists and atheists seeking an equal opportunity to pray. They say they are waiting for legal advice and planning a workshop to figure it out. Meanwhile, I have no doubt they are lining up Xtians (and maybe one Jew) so they can say their spots are all full until forever. This is a common tactic: Unwanted prayer-givers are asking for inclusion. Instead of saying no, they SEEK OUT others of their own faith and ask them to give their next invocation/s. That way, they can say their date books are filled for YEARS. My reply: the longer I am delayed, the more obscure I'll make my prayer when they finally allow it. Right now they are Pagan-level cooperation. More rejection and delays and I'll go to FSM. If they keep obstructing, I go Satanic. As an Agnostic Pagan Pantheist, I claim the right to invoke any god/s I want”

RfromNY stated:

“I suggest someone pretend to be Xtian, get on the schedule, then get up there with a prayer rug and bend toward Mecca, or pray to Satan, or whatever. I don't care if it's lying, they've given us no choice.”

Paul stated:

“I wish I could go and give a prayer to Odin, performing all the hammer rituals and everything”

Andrea A stated:

“someone please dress up as a "Witch Doctor" and go to their next meeting”

To which rascal barqucat replied:

“It is Florida, so it probably wouldn't be too hard to find a "Witch Doctor" or at least a sympathetic Santeria priest or a southern conjure-woman root-doctor”

In addition to these outrageous posts, many of these allegedly very tolerant, progressive, and open-minded individuals have hurled obscenities at me from all directions, calling me such lovely names as

“A F*%&ing  A$& H#&le!”  and a  “Piece of S#$T!”  and others I won’t mention here...

 Yeah, these swell, ultra-polite  guys have only the best of intentions with their requests to deliver the invocation at the school board meetings. 

…..Not so far as I can tell from the way they conduct themselves!

Handling Invocations at School Board Meetings: An Inclusive, Win-Win Solution?

So we have some really persistent individuals that really want to bring the invocation to our School Board meetings. They point to a recent Supreme Court case as their ammunition, supporting their cause and their right to bring non-Christian prayer to the meeting. Forget the fact that more than 80% of Americans are Christian. Forget the fact that in Escambia County Florida that percentage is much higher. Forget the fact that in our School Board meetings, it is more than likely nearly 100% of the attendees identifying as Christian. No matter, we’re told we must be inclusive. One of these persistent individuals came to the last meeting. (That’s him in the picture above turning his back on my guest who was in the process of bringing a very respectful opening invocation.)

 I’ve had several email requests and phone calls from various individuals that want me to select them to bring the invocation to the meeting on my behalf, as my guest. I had one super, hyper-persistent person who demanded I allow him to bring a Wiccan/pagan greeting. I told him No. (Under our current protocol, the selection of individuals for bringing the invocation rotates among the board every five months, corresponding with five board members.)

 At last Tuesday’s meeting, a speaker at public forum indicated that he was invited to bring the invocation by another board member, at an upcoming meeting. I have no idea what this person will say at his rendition of an invocation. I have no doubt he will be polite, but do I have to listen to someone politely refute my religious beliefs before a meeting of a board that is 100% Christian? What if this person wants to deliver a satanic prayer? Should the overwhelming majority of the attendees at these meetings really be subjected to this?

I say no.

 I am bringing an idea to the next workshop to allow us as a board to be inclusive, while at the same

time allowing attendees at our meetings, and members of the board, to “opt-out” of being proselytized to or disparaged by someone who believes Christianity is a made-up religion..I do not want to be subjected to their version of a prayer. I don’t want to be and I will not be a part of someone’s prank. I mean, what if a witch doctor wants to deliver a message? Will we really let that happen? I don’t want to hear that rubbish, and I’d suspect I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to hear it, either. Here’s my plan: When a board

How Do Other Governmental Bodies Handle The Pre-Meeting Invocation?

                             What Happens If the Witch Doctor Demands to Be Heard??

A fierce debate is brewing over how governmental agencies can be more “inclusive” during invocations, allowing for those of other faiths to be allowed an opportunity to deliver their version of an invocation.  In some cities, Atheists, Wiccans, and other groups are demanding they be given a chance to give the opening invocations. Some municipalities are bowing to such demands.

One group of Atheists in Brevard County was told “no” by the chairman of that board, and that board’s lawyer. 

Now, that Atheist group is considering a lawsuit against Brevard County.

\Some cities have come up with detailed rules and procedures to limit and strictly define who can deliver the invocations.  Several cities have used this type of a template for their policy.

Some locally want to be able to barge right in and insert themselves into the rotation, crying discrimination if they are not IMMEDIATELY selected.  That tactic won’t work with me-I don’t know if it will with my counterparts….we’ll see in the next few months I suppose.

 I’m not one who discriminates, and I won’t here either. However, I think we need to think long and hard about making any radical changes to our current practice.  While I do not think anyone I select would intentionally make a mockery of this solemn point in a meeting, who knows what someone with a massive "axe to grind" on this issue might do to make a splash in the media “spiking the football” in the face of the majority of meeting attendees who are overwhelmingly Christian? 

I mean, should the majority of persons in attendance at one of our meetings really have to listen to a satanic verse?  What if a “Witch Doctor” comes to the podium with a full-on costume, chicken-feet, a voodoo doll and other associated  over-the-top regalia?  It could easily get out of hand, so far as I can tell....(I wonder what our local media would say about this?)

And I won’t stay and listen if someone tries to be disrespectful like that.  I’ll leave the room and come back after, or wear BOSE noise cancelling headphones.  Or I'll turn around and raise my fist in the air like the '68 Olympians did(uh, I'm being sarcastic-I wouldn't really do that...)...... I won’t be part of someone's prank.