Christian prayers at Minnesota legislature: Like it or leave?

Church & State, May 2000

An unholy row over legislative prayers has divided the Minnesota House of Representatives.

The nasty battle broke out in February after Rep. Arlon Lindner, a Republican from Corcoran, accused a Democratic lawmaker of being a member of the "irreligious left" and made anti-Semitic comments on the House floor.

Until last year, prayers that open meetings of the House were "nondenominational." But the chamber is now under Republican control, and some of the prayers being said are leaving some lawmakers a little uneasy. For many, things went too far when House leaders recently brought in a choir to open the day's session with a musical rendition of the Apostles' Creed.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the song left some House members "visibly uncomfortable with what they considered an overly religious display." A bloc of legislators later pushed through a rule requiring that in the future, prayer be non-denominational.

One of the lawmakers offended was Rep. Michael Paymar, a St. Paul Democrat who is Jewish. Paymar told the House, "I would like to be part of that moment where a religious leader gets up before us and has a prayer. But I would like that to be non-denominational, and I would like it to be respectful of who I am."

Lindner quickly replied, "You know, we're told there's one God and one mediator between God and man. That man is Jesus Christ. And most of us here are Christians. And we shouldn't be left not able to pray in the name of our God....And if you don't like it, you may have to like it-Or just don't come. I don't come sometimes for some prayers here....We have that privilege, and you need to exercise it. But don't impose your irreligious left views on me."

At this point, Rep. Matt Entenza, a Democrat from St. Paul, rose and asked Lindner to rethink his comments. When Lindner refused to reply, Entenza put forth a "protest of dissent" petition asking the House Ethics Committee to reprimand Lindner. It was signed by 60 House members, including eight Republicans.