Prayer in schools or at graduation ceremonies is an emotional issue. Just ask members of the Utah Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Cary Peterson, R-Nephi, suggested during a Wednesday caucus of majority Republicans and minority Democrats that the state file "friend of the court" briefs in other states where school prayer is being challenged.The local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union recently filed lawsuits against two Utah school districts and their leaders, seeking to stop prayer at graduation ceremonies and other events.
Sen. Frances Farley, D-Salt Lake, who said she's the only member of the 29-member Senate not reared in the Latter-day Saint faith, replied: "That would terribly destructive. This is hard for you people (not raised Mormon) to understand, but in other places (in the country) there is respect for those of other denominations."
Farley said Utahns should not be insular. "We should grow up." Public praying by members of the dominant religion "makes others feel left out. "To be crass, it is also not good for business."
Peterson said he supports prayer at graduations but wants all denominations represented.
Other senators rose to speak, and the debate quickly turned to the role of religion in public affairs, not just prayer at graduations.
Public praying forces religion into government or schools, Farley said. "Some people want freedom from religion. They don't want to be exposed to religion at all. They want complete separation of church and state."
"That is exactly the issue (no religion), you've hit it," replied Peterson.
"As we, as a society, pull farther and farther away from God, a Divine Being, we have more problems - more problems in education, in social services, in our penal system. We just get farther into trouble," said Sen. Dixie Leavitt, R-Cedar City.
"This has been pushed into a Mormon issue," said Sen. Stephen Rees, R-West Valley. "It isn't. All of us should have more sharing of our value systems, not less. Value systems strengthen our families, our governments. (Praying) is one way to do that."
Sen. Lorin Pace, R-Salt Lake, said, "You can't come down in the middle of this (debate)." If prayer is outlawed from government or schools, "we enthrone those who do not worship God." A non-God, or Satanic, theme could prevail. "That (alternative) is one we don't want at all," Pace said. "No prayer is really an act for the other side."
Peterson said the Senate should consider the matter informally because of Gov. Norm Bangerter's statement several weeks ago that he favors allocating some state funds - the amount undetermined - to help defend school districts sued over the prayer issue.