Students voice opposition to Greensboro city council prayer

Last year, Greensboro Mayor Bill Knight ended the moment of silence and dictated that council meetings would begin with an invocation. “I think this adds a very distinctly American quality and a very necessary element,” he said. Apparently Mayor Knight does not understand that America was not founded upon Christian principles or that government endorsement of prayer is a violation of the Constitution's establishment clause of the first amendment.

In order to reaffirm the separation of church and state, members of our group Joshua Deaton, Phillip Drum, Daniel Foster and the Greensboro Atheist Organization addressed city council at several meetings last year.

Mayor Knight ignored our call to reinstate the moment of silence. Perhaps elections this November will yield a public official that appreciates the importance of secular government.