ishmael n. daro

Last week, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty suggested the provincial legislature should no longer recite the Lord’s Prayer before starting daily proceedings. McGuinty proposed a committee to check for possible alternatives to the Lord’s Prayer in order to reflect the diversity of the province, citing the 2006 census which shows more than one third of Ontarians having been born outside the country. The move has created passionate debate between those who favour an amendment or abolition of the prayer and others who wish to maintain the daily recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.
Wow, our governments have to pray? That was my first thought when the announcement made headlines.
There are varying rituals in legislatures across the country. PEI, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia also recite the Lord’s Prayer. Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba legislatures all recite some manner of prayer before beginning a session. Quebec’s National Assembly practices a simple moment of reflection while Newfoundland and Labrador’s legislature has no ritual at all. In Ottawa, the House of Commons and Senate use a non-denominational prayer before each session.
So where does that leave the Land of Living Skies? You may be surprised to know that our provincial legislature in Saskatchewan recites a daily prayer that has remained the same since 1931. I contacted the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to inquire about the practice. The Speaker’s office tells me that our 1931 prayer is the same prayer said in the British parliament since 1597. Talk about tradition! There also appears to be no opposition to the prayer in Regina.
Public schools have long stopped reciting the Lord’s Prayer and prayer in government should logically follow. One argument against secularization is that “Canada is a Christian nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles.” Many Aboriginals would argue this point. Another popular viewpoint is that the separation of church and state is due to immigrants who have come here wishing to impose their beliefs on the majority. Once again, this is false because the largest percentage of immigration comes from Europe; perhaps because Europeans tend not to be visible minorities, we assume most newcomers are from Africa, East Asia, or the Middle East.
According to the 2001 Census, which has the most recent information, 72% of Canadians are either Catholic or Protestant. Both of these faiths have declined in popularity since 1991 and will likely continue to do so. The census also shows Muslims at 2% while Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Jews each make up 1% of Canadians. By contrast, the number of non-religious Canadians has skyrocketed; 16% of Canadians are atheists and the number is likely to grow in coming years.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees everyone a freedom of religion. Being an atheist, I would seek to remove prayer entirely from the halls of government. I realize that a short prayer will not destroy our society but wouldn’t a moment of silence, during which MLAs can each reflect on the important tasks with which they are charged, be more inclusive than a British parliamentary prayer left over since the 1500′s? Or maybe, as the Speaker’s office claims, it’s just not an issue. Any thoughts?

The Prayer:

Present us, oh Lord, in all our doings with Thy most gracious favour and further us with Thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy Holy Name, and finally by Thy mercy attain everlasting life. Amen.