Oh Lord! Kent County Council

Latest census suggests the UK is not a majority Christian country - the largest group is 'no faith'. So no prayers it is then.

The majority of the population identify as something other than Christian though.

We are (majority wise) a Christian country. If we must have prayers (not sure why) then obviously it should be our primary religion. 🤷‍♀️

If it was in other countries, then they would use their primary religion.

No mention of flags? Surely there should be flag waving? Compulsory flag waving?

Thought Reform were going to get stuck in to the day job
Singing the National Anthem
And the Lords prayer is top of the pops for them.
Clueless cunts springs to mind.

Kent should think themselves lucky they don't have the reform councillor up in Doncaster wanting a committee to monitor UFO activity.

Churches are also pretty ethnically diverse too. When I go Id say its less than 50% White.

Reform, the English magas. Christianity is on a constant decline. Just fascism rearing it's ugly head. People are so full of hate and ignorance xx

They are spending loads of money on advisors because they don't know what they are doing.

My post was a bit tongue about open mindedness, understanding and the type of people who do and don't come together seeking the things they have in common rather than the things that divide them.

I agree with you. The nationalistic sing song and prayers is a nonsense in what is essentially a workplace.

When I am a guest at a funeral Mass or an Eid, or if my host Grace before dinner, then I will stay quiet and reflective. Expecting me to stay quiet and reflective when I am a representative of my town community, attending the Council Chamber to carry out the public service to which I was elected, emphasises that I am a guest, that this is not my place. Put up and shut up, foreigner!

No one will be forced to participate. Stay quiet and reflective.

'The Pilgrimage" suggests that all these people came together for the purpose of something related to practicing faith. The people in the council chamber are not attending a prayer meeting or an inter-faith sharing experience. They have come together for the purpose of working out how the bins will be emptied, the roadworks scheduled, the playparks repaired, etc etc etc and how to assign budgets to all these needs. And some will be there simply to further their political ambitions.

There is no place for any sectarian prayer in the Council Chamber.

I can tell you that our Reform councillor who frequently spoke about the Church of England never set foot in the parish church of his ward. Probably for the best re: the reform councillor as I doubt he would have found any of the sermons very to his liking - speaking about love, forgiveness and mercy isn’t really up his street!

No more and no less than councillors who are not humanist.

Of course my preference would be to just skip the whole thing and get down to the work.

The bins are ok round us so hoping they don't mess up now. Everything council run was great tbh except pot holes of course. We will see what happens now our Labour council has been given the boot. We live 200 metres from an asylum hotel so expecting that to be shut by the end of the week. Watch this space. I mean that's what they've said they will do.
I think a few people will get a taste of you don't know what you've got till it's gone.
But I'm definitely going to be watching.

I'm reminded of this oldie.

Marked sensitive for firearms.

I’m a practicing Catholic- no place for prayers before Council meetings. It’s just divisive and wastes time. I would actually prefer a secular state at the level of government business. I didn’t go to a religious school and found being made to say prayers offensive even though I actually believed in them.

It does need some care though - secularism can also be used for hatred if extreme. If you go as far as no religious symbols at all in public life different groups are excluded (as prayers exclude atheists). This has been seen in France where staff and pupils in state middle and high schools cannot wear conspicuous religious symbols. Although meant to be equal it mainly affects Muslim girls, a small crucifix is acceptable but no headscarf at all, no turban affecting Sikh pupils

A small group of Secularists have repeatedly tried but currently failed to ban Muslim mothers accompanying children on school trips from wearing a veil. Le Monde article

Fun, sounds like show and tell.
Will they also do some productive work? 😂

Can't say I could get upset about 2 prayers that took place in 2014 and 2017!!! Also the author is berating an Iman for reading a gentler version of the quoran. Most don't go along with our old testament brimstone and ashes in the Christian faith either. Either all faiths should be represented respectfully with all involved or none. In this current climate I (as card carrying Christian) think secular has to be the way forward

I don't think it is being done because all of the Reform members are Christian, it is designed to be anti-Muslim.

As for the National Anthem, there is not an English one. The United Kingdom is a union of nations.

I'm sure they'd come up with something. A poetry reading, sharing culture and language and the beauty of words would be highly appropriate.

I wouldn’t be praying for his soul either way, but you absolutely can pray for someone living’s repentance…

You can’t pray for his soul until he’s dead…