Ongoing debate: Prayer and public office

COLES COUNTY, Ill. (WCCU) — To pray, or not to pray - it’s the ongoing controversy facing the Coles County County Board.

Last month, a group asked the county board to replace their meeting prayer with a moment of silent reflection.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the board opened with a prayer, followed by the first-ever moment of silence.

“During the moment of silence, I was talking to God,” said Pastor Daniel Haifley, of Maranatha Baptist Church in Mattoon.

Haifley has been part of the fight to keep prayer in the meetings.

On the other side of the argument is Annalisa Switzer.

“There are many of us in this community, probably more than people realize that actually don’t have any religion at all,” Switzer said. “And for those people, it still makes them feel awkward.”

Where Haifley believes getting rid of the prayer would be an infringement on board members’ religious freedom.

“I think it’s wrong for someone to come in and impose their will and take away your right to pray, if you want to pray in a public meeting,” he said.

As the board decides whether the prayer will stay or go, other counties follow their own practices.

Champaign, Macon and Sangamon County Boards open their meetings in prayer.

On the other hand, the Piatt County Board has neither an opening prayer or moment of silence.

In Vermilion County, board meetings open with both -- a prayer followed by a moment of silence.

All these different places following different practices, showing that the age-old debate of separation of church and state is alive and well.

“The separation of church and state as I said is a communist idea,” Haifley said. “The idea that we would separate God from our government is obnoxiously insane.”

“When people have been elected and they’re in their official roles as representatives in our community, that’s when there’s separation of church and state,” Switzer said. “[That’s when] a prayer is not appropriate and bringing their religion into their decisions is not appropriate, because it’s affecting all of us.”

The Coles County Board’s Offices and Rules Committee will revisit the matter on April 1.