What Are the Constitutional Limitations on Prayers at Local Government Meetings?

The U.S. Supreme Court said that local governments can start their meetings with religious prayers, but there are some limits. Lower courts have also said that local governments need to make sure different religions have a chance to participate in the prayer-giving. The Supreme Court has ruled that it is okay for local government meetings to start with prayers that have Christian content, as long as the selection process for who gives the prayers is inclusive. The Court said this is okay because it follows a long tradition in Congress and state legislatures. However, if the selection process is discriminatory or the prayers are led by the lawmakers themselves, it could violate the Constitution. Some lower court cases have found that excluding non-Christian prayers or having all Christian prayer-givers can violate the Constitution. However, the Supreme Court has declined to review those cases, so it’s not entirely clear how those cases fit with the Supreme Court’s ruling. The Bormuth case is similar to the Lund case in that they both deal with prayers at government meetings. The key question is whether it matters if the prayers are given by legislators instead of private clergy. The issue of including non-theistic speakers in prayer selections is also being discussed. After the Town of Greece case, it’s clear that having mostly religious prayers at government meetings doesn’t automatically violate the law. Other courts will decide these issues in the future.

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/what-are-the-constitutional-limitations-on-prayers-at-local-government-meetings/