"I'm going to have to call you out on this. How does an opening prayer grant the church power to exercise authority over the parliament?"

Oh dear SM. Look to your wording very carefully. You well know that my argument is not that the Lord's Prayer in itself grants power over governments. It is not a legislative instrument.

Churches do have undue influence compared to ordinary people on government policy, but that is not instrumental via the Lord's Prayer.

Without personal attacks on one's level of education and intelligence, I simply ask what is essentially a private act (reciting prayers) doing in Parliament within a secular democracy?

If we must stick with some sort of ritual process why not the suggestion raised earlier that there be different sorts of statements related to ethics and serving the people. Personally I would much rather our elected representatives get on with it as words can be cheap if not followed through in action.

SM..but the fact that we know next to nothing, does leave the possibility? Why is there cave paintings of upper level Gods? Why has man developed skills that he couldn't of discovered at the time period? Why is there still a missing link between other species that share similar DNA?

Think like a god you know nothing about( no punt intended )or a an intelligent life form....Question..would you put all your eggs in one basket? or would find other planets, for the just in case factor of a unpredictable universe.....again we no next to nothing about?

Planet

Yuyutsu,

How about 'broadly acceptable'?
But tolerated will do for the purpose of the exercise.

You got anything to say about the other religions that I mentioned?

'I assume you are referring to your imaginary friend residing there? '

actually Ponde my 'imaginary ' friend (and thanks for the compliment) is the One who you will bow your knee to one day. For the mean time you can pretend to be your own god. Hopefully you will come to your senses before your day of account comes.

Pelican...If we must stick with some sort of ritual process....and your quite right. As you know, future thinking is just a sample and to change an entire way of life, is not what Iam saying. Change is investable at all levels.

Planet3

What Pericles said
But if truth be known Liberals would only too quickly dump the welcome to country ceremony if given the chance.
If one why not the other