Tuesday, May 22, 2012
STATE HOUSE
By Susan M. Cover scover@mainetoday.com
State House Bureau
AUGUSTA -- Gov. Paul LePage and other top Republicans called on Mainers to pray as they announced Tuesday the formation of the Maine Legislative Prayer Caucus.
Legislators and state officials bow their head in prayer Tuesday during the Maine Call to Prayer event at the State House. Senate President Kevin Raye. R-Raye, front row left, Governor Paul LePage and Speaker of the House Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, signed the call to prayer document along with several legislators.
Staff photo by Andy Molloy
The caucus is affiliated with Pray USA, an initiative of the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation Inc., which seeks to "preserve the Judeo-Christian heritage of our nation and protect American religious liberty."
More than 150 people, including about 50 legislators -- mostly Republicans and a few Democrats -- participated in a ceremony to announce that Maine is the sixth state to formalize a legislative prayer group. Maine legislators have informally gathered to pray since the 1940s, and now have taken steps to become a more formal group, said Rep. David Burns, R-Whiting.
The prayer caucus meets once a week and does not discuss policy or bills. The goal is to be nonpartisan; the group prays for fellow legislators and other state and national leaders, according to the House Majority Office.
LePage said that when he was in Quebec, he noticed a crucifix on a wall in one of the legislative chambers.
"The separation of church and state is not a separation from public life," he said. "Always, our courts are taking symbols of religion out of our public house, but they can't take religion out of our hearts."
Attorney General William Schneider, a Republican, talked about the national conversation sparked by Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who made headlines this football season for his public displays of faith.
"What Tim Tebow says in prayer, whether alone in the locker room or on the field in front of millions, and what he hears in prayer, is a matter of individual freedom," Schneider said. "The same is true for presidential candidates in an election year."
Maine Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry, said people turn to prayer in times of crisis, joy and fear.
"Let us keep in mind this nation's founders placed such importance on prayer and God's role in the life of our fledgling experiment in democracy that it was not only enshrined in the Constitution, it was the first amendment thereto," he said.
House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, said despite arguments over "whether a Christmas tree can be called a Christmas tree," the U.S. is not a secular nation.
"History tells us there is every indication that the individuals who were most influential in shaping this great nation often turned to God for guidance," he said.
Susan Cover -- 620-7015
scover@mainetoday.com
Tweet
Copyright ©2012 MaineToday Media, Inc.
Jobs
Cars
Real Estate
Deals
Maine Yellow Pages
Further Discussion
Here at PressHerald.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include: