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Lodi City Council adopts prayer policy
Having only lived in Lodi for three years, Karen Buchanan decided the Lodi City Council would probably not take her concerns seriously about prayers before meetings.
So she took her complaint to the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation to see if the national organization could make Lodi at least comply with its own policy requiring "non-sectarian and nondenominational prayer."
But what she would really like is for the city to remove anything connected to religion from the meeting.
"The basic thing is that the city government and any government is not to be endorsing or assisting one religion, or all religion," she said.
On Wednesday night, the council approved a new prayer policy with no discussion. The council decided to broaden its policy to allow religious leaders to offer uncensored prayers, which can include references to Jesus Christ. The policy also includes opening up the invocation or "Call to Civic Responsibility" to all religious and secular groups.
During the prayer at Wednesday's meeting, First Church of Christ Scientist Pastor Arlene Proctor thanked the council for its service before reading several passages from the Bible.
"We must trust in the Lord with all they heart, in all they ways acknowledge him. ... Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil," Proctor read from Psalms.
Buchanan had remained anonymous until she appeared on the foundation's radio show on Oct. 12 to speak about the council's decision.
She is willing to be a plaintiff in suing the city and believes the adopted policy will not hold up in court.
With the policy, she believes the council tried to honor a diversity of religion, but she does not feel that is the council's place.
"I'm disgruntled with the City Council," she said. "I don't blame them for wanting to start their meeting on an upbeat note, but you can do that without having religion being a part of that. In my view, it crosses the line."
She has read comments that people are angry about a lawsuit that could cost the taxpayers' money. She said if residents are worried about that, they should contact the council and request it to change its policy.
"I don't like the fact we'd have to do a lawsuit, I don't think anybody wants to do that," Buchanan said. "Certainly at any point the city can change their mind about the policy."
Buchanan said she didn't come forward at first because was concerned about her safety and is more of an introvert. She received one threatening phone call Tuesday and has heard about other people who have brought up this issue receiving threats in other communities.
Even though she didn't come forward at first, she knew she was willing to put her name on a lawsuit if that become necessary. But she never expected it to go this far.
"I was naive to think they would just say, 'OK we'll enforce our policy,'" she said.
Buchanan moved to Lodi from Woodland about three years ago for her job as an insurance claims worker. She believes the council was pressured into keeping prayer by religious leaders who have lived here longer.
"It's a small town sort of thing here," she said. "It's like if you haven't been here a number of years, you don't have the right to say your piece."
Contact reporter Maggie Creamer at maggiec@lodinews.com or read her blog at www.lodinews.com/blogs/citybuzz.
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Reader Feedback
rantraves wrote on Oct 26, 2009 3:11 PM:
rantraves wrote on Oct 26, 2009 3:10 PM:
hicksvilianfromlodi wrote on Oct 24, 2009 3:24 AM:
Bob Hussein Loblaw wrote on Oct 23, 2009 12:43 PM:
Lodian wrote on Oct 23, 2009 8:49 AM:
Lodian wrote on Oct 23, 2009 8:47 AM:
" 200 out of 63,000... hum? "
mp: Well, 200 showing to support Lodi United in no way equals 62,800 people that are in disagreement with Lodi United. I think most here know this fact. And a question for you... do you really think that there are 63,000 adults in Lodi? "
mike wrote on Oct 23, 2009 4:06 AM:
hicksvilianfromlodi wrote on Oct 23, 2009 2:36 AM:
hicksvilianfromlodi wrote on Oct 23, 2009 2:35 AM:
hicksvilianfromlodi wrote on Oct 23, 2009 2:35 AM:
hicksvilianfromlodi wrote on Oct 23, 2009 1:52 AM:
mike wrote on Oct 22, 2009 10:12 PM:
I therefore beg leave to move, That henceforth Prayers, imploring the Assistance of Heaven and its Blessing on our Deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to Business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that Service. "
mike wrote on Oct 22, 2009 10:06 PM:
We can only depend on the all powerful influence of the Spirit of God, whose Divine aid and assistance it becomes us as a Christian people most devoutly to implore. Therefore I move that some minister of the Gospel be requested to attend this Congress every morning during the sessions in order to open the meeting with prayer." "
SusanR wrote on Oct 22, 2009 4:45 PM:
WA born again skeptic wrote on Oct 22, 2009 3:58 PM:
Public officials fight First Amendment lawsuits at their peril, wasting taxpayer dollars in the process. Such officials may very likely end up losing in the next election. Look up the Wikipedia entry for Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District for a famous example. "
Ruth1940 wrote on Oct 22, 2009 3:25 PM:
Anyone can silently pray anywhere and anytime he/she wants. The rest of the world doesn't even have to be silent while it's happening! Pay attention to Jesus! (The public show of prayer was EXACTLY what he was talking about.)
But hey, aren't the Muslims and Jews going to hell according to the Christians, and the Jews and Christians per the Muslims, etc.? How would prayers from a variety of traditions help anything?
Quick Quote:
"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion..."
From Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli 1797. Unanimously ratified by the U.S. Senate and signed by President John Adams.
A secular federal government was set up - no gods in the Constitution. It was stated further in the First Amendment. The same rules applied to the states with the Fourteenth Amendment. "
davidd wrote on Oct 22, 2009 1:50 PM:
Even if Lodi were only 9%, that's over 5000 right there.
And considering that we have the support of the city's Muslims, Jewish, Budhists, 7th Day Adventists, and a number of other Christians, I'd bet a poll would give our cause well over 30%.
Are we willing to intolerate and ostrasize 30% of our community because the other 70% wants to pray at a government meeting? And are we willing to risk a lawsuit over this? Apparently so. "
davidd wrote on Oct 22, 2009 1:47 PM:
Based on the feedback you've seen on this blog and others like it, is it any shock that people do not want to come forward and proclaim their support?
I personally know dozens who've told me that they are in support of Lodi United but cannot say so because they are fearful of retaliation. "
LodiFreeThinker wrote on Oct 22, 2009 1:01 PM:
The council is not doing their duty. They are needlessly taking a side instead of remaining neutral and they are putting the city in peril of legal action.
No one on this council will get my vote for re-election. "
wtf wrote on Oct 22, 2009 11:47 AM:
Regarding the upcoming lawsuit; as a taxpayer, I'm opposed because we will be the ones paying for it. However, the CC loves to waste taxpayer dollars and always seem to being doing exactly opposite of what their constituents want.
So, to Karen Buchanan: YOU GO GIRL!!! "
wtf wrote on Oct 22, 2009 11:43 AM:
Let me get this right....Ms. Buchanan is being "petty" because she wants Lodi's CC to enforce its own policy regarding mixing religion with politics at the CC meetings; but when it comes to Muslim parents concern over what their children eat, you wrote: "Why should the whole darn school have to cater to a few?"
You, my dear pooreastside, are a HYPOCRITE....as are many of those posting for their "right" to practice their whacked religion in a political arena yet are so quick to deny anyone else to practice codes of ethics regarding **their** religion.
Why am I not surprised? "
mp wrote on Oct 22, 2009 11:41 AM:
davidd wrote on Oct 22, 2009 11:01 AM:
Eletric rates and other fees are certainly an important issue, but she chose to take up a different issue.
If she were the only one upset, you might have a point. But Lodi United is over 200 strong and we are all very supportive of Karen. "
pooreastside wrote on Oct 22, 2009 9:16 AM:
jbhiker wrote on Oct 22, 2009 7:19 AM:
"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."
Thomas must be turning over in his grave knowing we just passed this "law in sheep's clothing." "
been there wrote on Oct 22, 2009 4:01 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.