Should the Lord’s Prayer be replaced

In a bid to separate church and state; or, in this case, the province of Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty wants to end the practice of reciting the Lord's Prayer in the Ontario Legislature. For those who are unfamiliar with the Lord’s Prayer, it is as follows;

Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen

The Catholics don’t say “for ever and ever” when they recite the prayer. The first time this prayer was recited was during ‘the last supper’ when Jesus was speaking to his disciples.

In a letter the premier wrote to the leaders of the Progressive Conservatives and the New Democrats, he said;

"I believe it is time for Ontario's Legislature to better reflect Ontario's reality and celebrate our diversity. It is time to move beyond the daily recitation of the Lord's Prayer in the Ontario Legislature to a more inclusive approach that reflects 21st century Ontario. Our counterparts in other provinces and the federal government have adjusted their customs to reflect the diversity of the population. The members of the Ontario Legislature reflect the diversity of Ontario; be it Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or agnostic. It is time for our practices to do the same. That is the Ontario way.”

Although the prayer is of a Christian origin, its meaning surely applies to all faiths. But because it is recited by Christians and is only found in the New Testament, Jews and Muslims who are followers of the Old Testament and not the New Testament may take offence if they are being forced by custom to recite it at public functions such as provincial legislatures and alternatively, not being able to recite a prayer used in their own faith.

McGuinty said the last time the Ontario legislature updated its daily prayer was in 1969. Most other provinces, the House of Commons and the Senate have updated their proceedings and customs to better reflect diverse populations. A House of Commons committee agreed on the wording for a new, non-sectarian prayer in 1994, which was adopted in 2004. The Senate firmed up the wording around its non-denominational prayer in 1991.

New Brunswick still recites the Lord’s Prayer, but precedes it with a prayer that blesses the legislature and asks for the strength to allow members to conduct their duties. They still say the Lord’s Prayer before proceedings at the Prince Edward Island legislature, but they do it behind closed doors before the chamber is open to the public. Newfoundland and Labrador has no prayer in its House of Assembly, while Quebec’s National Assembly has only a daily moment of reflection. Alberta uses a set list of non-denominational prayers that are rotated, while British Columbia also rotates the prayers but allows individual members to select the daily reading. Manitoba changed the wording of its daily prayer years ago, while the Speaker of the Nova Scotia legislature wrote a prayer in 1972 that is still used today. In the Manitoba legislature they are still using a prayer drafted by an all-party committee in 1931. Members of the Nunavut legislature chose their own prayer when it’s their turn in rotation, while in the Northwest Territories they used a non-denominational prayer. Yukon leaves the prayer up to the Speaker, some of whom in past have asked members to bow their heads in a moment of silence while the current Speaker rotates three non-denominational prayers.

If the legislators wish to form a committee to create a new prayer, they better include members of all the major faiths in that committee otherwise a future premier will be suggesting that a newer prayer be created. Personally, I like the way Alberta does it; alternatively reciting non-denominational prayers each day of the week. Surely there are five non-denominational prayers that can be found that will satisfy even the most fastidious of religious believers. Why not recite a very simple prayer that will apply to all faiths such as;

“Lord. We call upon you to bless everyone who is in attendance in this Legislature.”

This would apply to the legislators, the clerks, the pages and even citizens visiting the legislature.

Amen