I think it is time to not let the opinions of a few people hinder what is not wrong by opening whatever event we want with prayer.There are many things that some think have gotten obsolete with time, God or His Word are not two that fit that category. 

It just seems like if it's not one thing it's another in trying to remove God from everything our forefathers established.  People need to really think what kind of place this world would be without the church that God established and the Christian people.

I really don't think it would be a very nice place no matter if we did no longer look like a backward small minded bunch of bigots.  As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.  I would rather be a fool for the Lord than look like a prize to the rest of the world. Serve the Lord and you can't go wrong. 

Phil Dyar Sr. 
Hixson

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Amen, Mr. Dyer.

Ronnie Land

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It may come as a surprise to some but the law of the land is the U.S. Constitution, not the Bible, not God, and not Christianity.  That is why the founding fathers wrote safeguards into the Constitution that prohibited the United States from sanctioning a particular religion, including Christianity.   

If one truly understands American history and the principles on which it was founded, one would realize that this country is very diverse in all aspects. There are many who are true Americans that worship any number of religions. And some may find it surprising, but each is equal in the eyes of U.S. law. And yes, they are equal in status to Christian beliefs. 

For a government body such as the Hamilton County Commission to thumb its nose at federal law because it’s “tradition” or some misguided concept that local or state’s rights trumps the Constitution is going down a very slippery slope. That kind of thinking is what has led to unending and senseless conflicts. There are numerous ways, places, and events where people can worship their God and whatever else that is included. Government public meetings and public facilities are not places of worship. They are bound by law to represent everyone without favoring intentionally or unintentionally one segment of the population regardless of whether it is a majority or not. This basic American tenet has been fought for over centuries. Making a contrary decision to ignore this tenet is not the right of a few elected officials. 

Greg Williams
Signal Mountain

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It may come as a surprise to some, but, the Constitution was written based on the principles of the Holy Bible and written by men who held to those principles.  There are ample quotes from the men who wrote the Constitution to know that their Christian faith is what guided them in the framing of this great document.

Context is the key in understanding any document, whether it be the Bible or the Constitution.  You discover the context by knowing the intent of the writer(s) and the history of their time.  The history that brought about the guaranty of freedom to worship and not having a state sponsored church was the experience with the Church of England.  The reason the pilgrims left England was because of the persecution they received from the Church of England.  If you did not belong to and/or believe the teachings of the Church of England you could go to jail.  There were laws written to ensure that; however, no such laws exist in the United States.  The intent of the Constitution is to not have a state sponsored church, i.e. Baptist, Methodist, Church of God, etc. 

If our founding fathers believed that Christianity should not be part of our government they would have never begun their sessions with prayer, but they did.  They would have written laws to keep prayer out of all government functions, but they did not.  You cannot argue against the men who wrote the document, their actions prove their intent.  Walk around Washington D.C. and read what is engraved on buildings and you will find Scripture from the Holy Bible.

Mark Harwood