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Show m ' i Attorney rules prayer at council meet acceptable NORTH SALT LAKE After a ruling by the city attorney, a newly elected city councilman said he feels "comfortable" about offering a prayer at city council meeting. ; The issue arose when it was ; Nathan Clark's turn to open city f council with prayer. Clark said he feared praying in the government meeting might leave the city open to law suits. "There are some peo- pie out there who are sue happy," he said. f Mayor Jake Simmons remarked, I "I'm a true American. I would hate ; to see us eliminate the prayer. I per-: per-: son ally like it." i City attorney Kent Christiansen : researched the issue. In his report to : the council he cited a 1983 Supreme : Court case questioning whether or not it was appropriate for the : Nebraska Legislature to commence with prayer. For 16 years the I legislature had paid the same pastor to open the session with prayer. The Supreme Court ruled that for 200 years prayer had been a "part of the fabric of our society," and that it was, "a tolerable acknowledgement acknowl-edgement of the beliefs widely held in our country.." Christiansen told the council that in his opinion, prayer in city council did not violate the law. "You are not foisting your beliefs on the community even if all of the members of the council are of the same religious persuasion.." After hearing Christiansen's opinion, opi-nion, the council agreed to continue to open city council meeting with prayer. Clark said he felt satisfied with the ruling, and he would be "comfortable" praying in city council. He suggested that he may, at times, invite members of local clergies to open the meeting with prayer. |