During a Monday City Council meeting, Clemson Council members discussed the issue of opening future meetings with prayer, according to reports from the Anderson Independent-Mail.
City Administrator Rick Cotton outlined a law for the Council passed last spring by the General Assembly allowing public meetings to be open with prayer. The law offers three different methods of delivery.
Mayor Larry Abernathy wanted to make sure the prayer provision was carefully considered, as council meeting prayers were discontinued about 20 years ago.
Abernathy said it was difficult to represent all faiths. He questioned whether the General Assembly’s act would ultimately stand up in court if it were challenged.
“I’m not sure I want to cheapen spirituality by bringing politics into it,” he said.
The mayor suggested as a possible alternative that if council members wanted prayer before meetings they could meet in another room and pray among themselves. Council member J.C. Cook suggested a moment of silence as an alternative.
Mayor Pro Tem Butch Trent disagreed that prayer was out of order at meetings.
Trent cited disparities that troubled him including Muslims demanding and getting concessions for their prayers while mentioning Christ was specifically ruled out of prayers.
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