Religion plays an important role in many people’s lives, even if church attendance in the United States has declined. Faith often motivates people to undertake good deeds, like feeding the hungry, offering shelter to the homeless, giving medical care to those who can’t afford it and so much more. Tragically, religion sometimes also motivates people to act in violent ways, whether that’s foreign terrorists or domestic criminals, using their beliefs to justify their actions.

One of the greatest freedoms Americans enjoy involves religion. People in the United States are free to worship in whatever church they choose — or not express faith at all. The Founding Fathers believed strongly in this concept, which many know as the separation of church and state.

Politicians base many of their decisions on their particular faith — at least their constituents hope they do. True religions focus on the positive and should seek the best for one’s fellow man. People of the same faith may sometimes disagree on a particular policy issue and reach a different conclusion. But that’s OK, too.

The concern comes when politicians start overtly expressing their faith in public settings. Even the makeup of the South, still known as the Bible Belt, has grown much more diverse in past decades. So elected officials can no longer assume those who seek the help of government share the same belief system. They must come across as objective and unbiased.

That’s why the issue of prayer at public meetings heads down a slippery slope. These prayers are almost always Christian in nature. That can make those who believe in a different religion question if their faith might lead to a negative outcome on their matter.

Most Christians would feel uncomfortable if someone of another faith prayed at a meeting, ball game or other public event. That’s why such prayers need to be nonsectarian in nature. There’s a way to pray publicly without offending someone else.

A federal appeals court is considering whether prayers by commissioners in adjacent Rowan County are constitutional. The case may eventually make its way to the Supreme Court. Governing bodies in Davidson County should evaluate their approach and make sure their prayers are not offending anyone — or violating the Constitution, should the court decisions go that direction. After all, they’re elected to represent all the people.

— The Dispatch

Lexington