We don't think religious worship should play any part in the formal business of the state.
We want to see parliamentary and local government meetings conducted in a manner equally welcoming to all attendees, whatever their personal beliefs.
Parliamentary prayers
Sittings in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords begin with Anglican prayers. MPs and peers stand for prayers facing the wall behind them – a practice thought to have developed due to the difficulty members would historically have faced of kneeling to pray while wearing a sword.
When the chamber is at its busiest, parliamentary prayers act as a bizarre and antiquated seat reservation system. Even MPs and peers who are slated to speak have no option but to attend prayers in order to reserve a seat.
Whilst they may be viewed by some as an important tradition, parliamentary prayers serve to assert the superiority of Christianity (and the Church of England in particular) at Westminster. This 'tradition' is inimical to a modern, pluralistic, secular democracy.
In the Scottish Parliament, Tuesday afternoon sessions begin with 'Time for Reflection', with faith and belief representatives invited to addresses members for up to four minutes. The Northern Ireland Assembly begins formal business with a period of two minutes of silent prayer or contemplation. The Welsh Assembly has adopted no such rituals.
Parliamentarians who wish to pray are free to do so. But prayers should not form part of the official business of Parliament.
Council prayers
Many local authorities in Britain also begin their meetings with prayer.
Local democracy should be equally welcoming to all sections of society, regardless of their religion or belief. Council meetings should be conducted without anyone feeling excluded, or compelled to either participate in prayers or absent themselves from part of the meeting.
Council prayers open the door to wholly unnecessary conflict and sectarian squabbles within local authorities. There is a history of local councillors being bullied and marginalised for challenging council prayers.
The absence of prayers from the formal business of meetings in no way impedes religious freedoms or denies anybody the right to pray. Conversely, organised worship in secular settings imposes worship on those who do not share the faith. A genuine commitment to freedom of religion or belief is incompatible with including acts of worship in the formal business of council meetings.
If local authorities wish to hold a moment of silent reflection at the beginning of a meeting, or if councillors wish to meet for prayers prior to the meeting, they are at liberty to do so.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Please enter your postcode and urge your MP to support an alternative to parliamentary prayers, to make parliament more welcoming to people of all faiths and none.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue - for example, if you would like to challenge prayers at your own council.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Cromer Council agrees to take prayers off the agenda
Posted: Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:31
Councillors at Cromer Town Council in Norfolk voted by 12 votes to one that in future those who wished to join in a short period of prayer or reflection would gather at 6.45pm, ahead of the usual 7pm start to council meetings.
Cromer traditionally launched its meetings with prayers led by a faith representative but abandoned the practice two months ago after the National Secular Society won a High Court ruling that including prayers on the agenda of meetings was illegal.
Marion Saunders, who proposed the new timings, said the 15-minute gap would allow those who did not want to take part in the prayer/reflection, time to arrive and settle for a 7pm start.
Veteran member Vera Woodcock was alone in voting against the compromise. She had earlier argued that the council should continue to meet at 7pm with a period of reflection at the start. Mrs Woodcock added: "I don't see why we should alter our timing to suit one or two people."
Secular group in Canada seeks to end prayers at local authority meetings
Posted: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 08:53
In a campaign that echoes the National Secular Society's successful challenge to council prayers in England and Wales, a group in Canada called Secular Ontario is taking legal action to stop politicians praying before their meetings.
The group is seeking to stop the recitation of prayers in at least 18 cities, towns and counties across the province.
On Monday, the lawyer for the group filed a lawsuit against Grey County council on behalf of Peter Ferguson, saying the saying of the Lord's Prayer at his local council caused him "anguish, discrimination, exclusion, rejection and loss of enjoyment of life."
Ferguson, who lives in Grey County, is seeking $5,000 in damages and a court order banning the county council opening its meetings with prayers.
He said councillors are infringing upon his Charter right to freedom of conscience and religion, referencing a 1999 Ontario Court of Appeal decision that ordered the town council in Penetanguishene to stop reciting the Lord's Prayer.
"I don't like politicians who break the law, and our county council is breaking the law," said Mr Ferguson. He said if he wins the case, he'll donate the $5,000 to Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust.
"I don't really care about religion that much, I care about the law. I care about being fair."
Ferguson's suit comes a month after a woman took action against Peterborough (Ontario) city council, which also prays at meetings. Both plaintiffs had tried unsuccessfully to persuade their councils to drop the practice before going to Secular Ontario for legal advice.
Familiar arguments then began to emerge from councillors who are determined that the prayers will stay.
"No one is forced to take part. They are invited if they choose. We have added the silent reflection for anyone who wishes to, whichever deity or thought process they follow," Peterborough's acting mayor Henry Clarke told the press in June.
Both Ferguson and the Peterborough plaintiffs made several appeals to their respective councils before learning of Secular Ontario's cause and seeking Mayo's counsel. Both cases have yet to appear before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Attempts to persuade municipalities to end prayers voluntarily have failed in all but two cases. The Ontario provincial government also declined to respond.
Secular Ontario has warned the plaintiffs that they are likely to be targeted with hate mail and are likely to face a backlash from their local community.
