Religion column elicits response

Should town citizens in Maine be allowed to invite a local Christian minister to pray publicly at their town meetings?

The Rev. Daryl Witmer, one of our Voices’ columnists, reported on his experiences in Monson, where he ended a prayer “in Jesus’ name” at town meeting.

A complaint was filed with the Maine Civil Liberties Union, which asked the town to “cease its practice of including sectarian prayer” in its public meetings. Monson selectmen voted to end the practice.

Witmer sought your opinions in his June 4 essay. Readers responded, including some who did not want their thoughts published. Other responses:

“Please keep the prayers in the church, temple or other place of worship. I personally know people who do not go to events because they do not want ‘religion stuffed at them.'”

F.J. Langsman

Steuben

“No one, I repeat, no one is coerced into listening to or practicing anything they don’t believe in; the people who object to Jesus’ name should have been invited to step outside until that four- to five-minute segment was over.

“For reasonable people there is usually a simple way of avoiding something that really bothers them, but also these complaints, I have found, are presented by our ‘newest’ citizens – or those soon to be. … their opinion should be no greater than any other one, and I do believe majority still rules in most cases, and if he finds these practices so offensive, why is he here?”

B. Joanne Darity

Ellsworth

“I am outraged at what they are doing in Monson to prevent a lawsuit by the Maine Civil Liberties Union. It is a rogue organization which, if the American people don’t stand up to, will take America away from us, citizens of the United States. … I am 93 years old and America is the most wonderful country that the Lord ever allowed a people to have and we as Christians must never forget it.”

Mary L. Garrett

Bangor