Many local Councils across Australia are now removing the Lord's Prayer from the start of their meetings. They are moving to very generic introductions to meetings and then progressing with Council business.

Some Australian State Parliaments are also trying to get rid of the Lord's Prayer also or already have.

In some cases, though it has led to a lot of controversy, with objections from some local elected members and the public opposing such moves.

I'm not for or against the removing the Lord's Prayer, but I do realise there are Atheists out there who don't want prayers, God or religion as part of their daily life and want a fully secular society.

In terms of a Council meeting or Parliament, you're there to make decisions on behalf of the public, not pray or engage in religious practice. I've also wondered though what prayers actually do in real terms. I just don't know.

So, prayer or no prayer, what is the way forward here?

Councillors and such are just like other people who have turned their backs on Christianity. We live in a post-Christian era in Australia.

Many people, including some posters here, thing that's a good idea. They like having a good old sneer at the drop in Christian belief, without ever noticing the drop in social standards that goes with the drop in Christianity.

So be it. A price will be paid eventually. While I'm still breathing, I will pray the Jesus Prayer and the Lord's Prayer twice a day, because it helps me. I never discuss my beliefs with anyone; I don't preach; I'm not particularly interested in the disbelief of others; I just feel better.

Dear ttbn,

Nobody is interfering w your prayers. You can pray as much as you like in any religion you like, but it is not the business of government.

S. 116 of the Australian Constitution states: The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.

Government sponsored prayer is imposing a religious observance and is a violation of the Constitution. As an individual, pray as much as you wish in any religion you wish. S. 116 does not mandate a secular society. It just separates religion and government. Government cannot impose any religion, and religion cannot use government to further its influence.

Yes. Remove the Lord's Prayer from Council meetings
and Parliament. An oath or affirmation can be made
using a religious text but should not require one.
You don't need to have a religious belief to swear
an oath. It's not required in our courts.

I do believe that the preamble to the Australian
Constitution contains an acknowledgement of
"Almighty God," in the preamble.

However, MPs should be given the choice of a religious
text or affirmation instead. Once again - you don't
need to have a religious belief to swear an oath.

I do believe that an Oath or Affirmation of some kind
should be kept. A MP and Councillors are privileged positions
and the tradition of an oath or affirmation
should be maintained. But they don't have to be religious.

The preamble to the Australian Constitution:
Our constitution is a religious document by its very nature.
THE ACT:

[9th July 1900] WHEREAS the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God, have agreed to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and under the Constitution hereby established:

And whereas it is expedient to provide for the admission into the Commonwealth of other Australasian Colonies and possessions of the Queen:

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act.1…

Of course, the decline in moral values will want to remove any reference or acknowledgement to hold one answerable to a Moral being.