Dear editor,
Several articles and letters to the editor have been written concerning the city of Crestview's resolution about invocations.
Unfortunately, everything presented during the city council meeting was not disclosed in the reporting.
I addressed the council on this issue, twice presenting the same recommendation: once before the vote on Resolution 15-09 and again after. My recommendation was not to abolish the resolution, but to amend it.
The recommended change reads as follows: "Conduct of Opening Invocation of the resolution; Any citizen of the city of Crestview in attendance desiring an invocation to the God of his or her belief that was not invoked previously, will be provided the opportunity to offer or have the religious leader of said faith offer an invocation to the God of his or her belief prior to the commencement of the meeting."
This change would allow citizens of all faiths to have the blessings of the deity of his or her belief invoked prior to the meeting.
I am a Christian and, from what I see happening in our government from the city level to the federal government, there is an effort to eradicate Christianity from our nation.
Some say this country was not founded on Christian principles. I dispute this. Congress' first joint session was followed by a church service held in Saint Michael's Church in New York City. If they intended the current "politically correct" interpretation of separation of church and state, surely they would not have concluded the first meeting of this body in a church.
Additionally, in the U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 7, the president is allowed 10 days (excluding Sunday) to sign or veto a bill. Which faith honors God with a Sunday Sabbath? It is not the Muslims; their Sabbath is on Friday. It is not the Jews; their Sabbath is on Saturday. If it were atheists, there would be no exclusion; to them, there is no God to honor on a Sabbath day or day of rest; the Christian faith honors God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ on Sunday.
As Christians in this country, we need be tolerant of people of all faiths to the extent they do not impact our freedoms.
Does the proposed change impose upon anyone's faith?
If you believe it does, please explain how.
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: A recommendation for Crestview's invocations