After a single local resident said he was "offended" by public prayer, the Boyle County Fiscal Court voted unanimously to end the years-long tradition of opening meetings with prayer, fearing a lawsuit from one man with no known backing, even though every magistrate and attendee at the meeting preferred to continue the prayers.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:33, ". . . whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." (NIV)
For background, read Prayer in America: Hidden Faith, or Public? and also read Religious Liberty & Anti-Christian Totalitarianism
-- From "Boyle officials won't begin meetings with prayer" by The Associated Press 1/10/13
Boyle Judge-Executive Harold McKinney told magistrates that the county's insurance carrier would not cover them if a lawsuit was filed.
Although Magistrate Jack Hendricks said he thought the law would support the continuation of prayers during meetings, county attorney Richard Campbell disagreed.
Officials said they would conduct informal prayers before or after future meetings.
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From "Boyle ends public prayer at Fiscal Court meetings" by Stephanie Mojica, Central Kentucky News, 1/9/13
Magistrate Phil Sammons said he didn’t like “some idiot trying to tell me what to do” and “if that guy approached me I’d tell him where to go.”
Magistrate Jack Hendricks conducted extensive research through the Congressional Prayer Caucus as well as the Liberty Institute and said the information supports Fiscal Court continuing its long-standing practice of public prayer during meetings.
McKinney reminded people several times to keep the discussion as “civil” as possible. He also publicly discussed his Christian faith for what he said was the first time during a public government meeting. McKinney said prayer is about communing with the God of someone’s understanding and that it is traditionally a personal practice.
Magistrate Dickie Mayes believes 90 percent of his constituents would approve of public prayer during government meetings, about 7 percent “would not care,” and about 3 percent of the area’s residents would be in opposition. Ultimately, Mayes made a motion that Fiscal Court have a moment of silence listed on the agenda and spend that moment in silence during the meetings. The other five magistrates seconded the motion and it passed 6-0.
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