The recent Supreme Court decision that allows the town of Greece to continue having people from the community offer prayers before the town board meetings start will have an impact this week.
On Tuesday night, the opening invocation will be given by an atheist. Dan Courtney is taking advantage of the fact that the high court ruled the town can continue allowing prayers to open the meetings as long as they don't discriminate against representatives of other religious groups. And that apparently includes atheists.
Courtney does feel that religious prayers at public meetings can be divisive.
"And I think if we do anything, we need to bring people together under common themes and common goals so that we can include everybody in the process and to help solve our common problems.”
Courtney says he plans to quote some lines from the Declaration of Independence when he gives the invocation at the Tuesday town board meeting.
