There will no longer be a prayer before Ingersoll Council meetings
INGERSOLL - "Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done..."
Ingersoll Deputy Mayor Fred Freeman murmured the Lord's Prayer quietly to himself during a period of reflection after Ingersoll Council's Monday meeting had begun.
For the past 12 years that Freeman has served on council, the Lord's Prayer has been spoken before municipal council meetings in Ingersoll.
After tonight, there will no longer be a formal prayer held before the start of municipal council meetings across Canada following a Supreme Court decision that determined the prayer infringed the right to freedom of religion.
Ingersoll Councillor David Lesser called the banning of prayers at municipal meetings a loss of heritage, history and tradition in the Town of Ingersoll.
Freeman expressed similar sentiments, "It is my belief that the Town of Ingersoll was built on Christian values and so, it has always been a big part of the community itself."
To Freeman's knowledge, council has never been approached by anyone complaining about the prayer before council meetings.
On April 14, 2015 the Supreme Court determined that prayer before municipal council meetings compromised religious neutrality.
Ingersoll Councillor Brian Petrie, a self-admitted atheist, said he never felt uncomfortable with the religious prayer uttered before council meetings - he simply did not participate.
"Well I respect the Supreme Court's decision... and I do agree with the separation of church and state and in my belief the action that was taken was appropriate."
Despite the ruling Freeman said he would continue to utter the prayer to himself before the meeting.
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