The hearing of the case regarding Christian prayers at public meetings reportedly had split justices at the US Supreme Court. Nonetheless, The Los Angeles Times said that a Catholic majority has won the decision which allows the continuous delivery of opening prayers by a Christian pastor at public government meetings as it would bring the town of Greece, New York together.
Among them, Justice Anthony Kennedy, said about the decision, "By inviting ministers to serve as chaplain for the month, ...the town is acknowledging the central place that religion and religious institutions hold in the lives of those present. (If some citizens hear prayers that) make them feel excluded and disrespected, (they should ignore them). Adults often encounter speech they find disagreeable."
Kennedy has been joined by Chief Justice John G Roberts Jr, and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A Alito Jr. The other justices are mostly Jewish, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who is raised as a Catholic, reportedly does not go to church regularly.
The plaintiffs in the case are Jewish and an atheist, who said that the monthly meetings in Greece had made them uncomfortable because of the Christian prayers being delivered as opening prayer.
In a news conference, Greece's town supervisor Bill Reilich said that the case was bigger than the city of 96,000 people. He also said that the town board, which meets once a month is doing what every legislative body he has ever served does, which was to open with a prayer. He also insisted that the prayer was not an opportunity to convert or isolate anyone present in the meetings. Reilich also said that anyone who wish to attend and offer a prayer at the start of the town's monthly meeting will be accomodated depending on the board's schedule.
"If they feel uncomfortable with joining us in the prayer, they can have a moment of silent reflection while the prayer is offered," Reilich said.
