Alleghany County Commissioners have voted to keep praying, quietly. A majority of the commissioners, following the advice of their attorney, decided not to reinstate an opening prayer and instead stick with the moment of silence that they now observe before taking up business.
Forsyth Commissioners have been waging a costly battle for prayer recently after a federal judge ruled that the board's sectarian prayer violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
With Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court still opening with a prayer, it's unlikely they'll be any definitive ruling on this practice for a few decades to come. However, it's heartening to see that Alleghany Commissioners recognize the problems that conducting government business with a sectarian prayer presents. Whether they admit it or not, continuing to offer prayers under the guise of official government business is establishing a religion.
According to the Alleghany News, before the vote Commissioner Larry Cox pointed out the passage from the Sermon on the Mount in which Christians were urged not to do as the hypocrites and pray on the street corners, but to offer their prayers in secret.
We find it interesting that the pro-out-loud prayer crowd at the Sparta meeting was not receptive to having the those particular red-letter words recited out loud.
David Blust is now the "designated pray-er" at every meeting of the Watauga County Commission, and he ends every prayer "in Jesus name." Wondering when someone will decide they're tired of the obvious violation of the separation clause.
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