Originally Posted by AU

Americans United Commends Virginia State Police For Instituting Nonsectarian Prayer Policy
Friday, October 3, 2008

Church-State Watchdog Group Urges Government Officials To Discontinue Official Prayers Altogether

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today commended the Virginia State Police for requiring chaplains to offer only nonsectarian prayers at public events but urged the state agency to take the next step and discontinue official prayers altogether.

In an Oct. 3 letter to Gov. Tim Kaine and Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty, Americans United said state officials were right to discontinue sectarian prayers at government events. However, the church-state watchdog group said it would be preferable if the state agency dropped prayer completely so that all citizens would feel welcome at governmental functions.

Controversy has erupted in Virginia over Flaherty’s recent directive asking state police chaplains to offer only non-sectarian prayers at departmental events. Americans United, however, said Flaherty is on the right track and urged him and Kaine to take the matter one step farther.

“We applaud Superintendent Flaherty’s decision to feature only non-sectarian prayer at public police events and we urge the Governor to support Flaherty and this policy,” wrote Americans United Legal Director Ayesha N. Khan and AU Staff Attorney Ian Smith. “We also ask you to consider discontinuing the public police-department prayers in their entirety. That approach would ensure that believers and non-believers alike feel welcome at state police events and would also spare Virginia from potential legal liability.”

Khan and Smith noted that the courts have generally held that prayers cannot be included in government events out of respect for the constitutional separation of church and state. When exceptions have been approved, only non-sectarian prayers have been allowed.

Khan said she hopes the Americans United letter results in improvements to Virginia state policy.

“Virginia has a long and proud tradition of upholding the separation of church and state,” Khan said. “I urge the governor and other state officials to recognize that prayer is the province of the state’s clergy, not that of government.”