Prayers at government meetings?

Oops. Posted wearing the wrong hat.

"Mr Pickles often used his ministerial position to traduce secularism as "intolerant and aggressive" in official Government press releases and recently steered through parliament an Act allowing local authorities to hold prayers during council meetings – reversing a previous High Court ruling on the matter."

I must admit I didn't notice this new Act go through. Does it apply throughout the UK, or only to those parts with an established religion: England (CoE) and Scotland (Presbyterianism)? There isn't an established religion in NI is there? There certainly isn't in Wales.

Oh, the phrase "Christian values" really annoys me; the values that are promoted as Christian values are just common-or-garden good citizenship and general human niceness. If Christians are aiming for that, great: the more the merrier. But they mustn't go around claiming the values for themselves as though no-one else can exhibit them, and having those values is a sign of being a Christian (no, it's believing Jesus is the son of God that does that).

Agreed, dtw42. Sadly the "values" shown by many Christians here in the US is lacking. Although after a clser reading of the Gospels, Jesus was not so much about "family" as many assume.

They are deciding whether you can pray at games. A coach did and now they are deciding if it's not or is separation of church and state. In my opinion this is not good because it would take pagans rights because we are shunned for our practice in public events and Christians can would not be equality. I think separation of church and state makes it so those who don't believe don't feel pressured

The decision was issued last week, and it was a lousy one:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/06/27/supreme-court-takes-wrecking-ball-s...

Yes, it seems lousy in so many ways. I grew up Protestant Christian in the Bible Belt in the 1960's and 1970's. Even though I wasn't evangelical, and was really more of an agnostic, I don't think I faced nearly as much pressure to show conformity as the kids do today. In the early grades I had teachers roll their eyes and mutter laments that they weren't allowed to start class with a group prayer anymore because the Supreme Court was led astray and they might be arrested. We went on with our lessons and families pursued their children's religious education at the churches of their choice and at home. By the time I was in high school kids who wanted to bow their heads and fold their hands to ask a blessing in the lunchroom did so without any harassment or fear of being arrested. They realized the difference between a private moment during the school day and a prayer led by a school authority figure. So, no problem. The Bible Belt stayed the Bible Belt. But with this coach in Washington and apparently elsewhere, the kids are going to be pawns in the adults' performances of piety again. I'm sorry to see this.