Yes, this is as preposterous as the title makes it sounds. There is no federal establishment of a state church or religion if a little old lady or a group of ladies decided to pray before the eat. The founders intended the government to stay out of the private lives of individuals, and this is clearly the opposite.
But Senior Citizens Inc. officials said Friday the meals they are contracted by the city to provide to Ed Young visitors are mostly covered with federal money, which ushers in the burden of separating church and state.
On Thursday, the usual open prayer before meals at the center was traded in for a moment of silence.
The dilemma is being hashed out by the Port Wentworth city attorney, said Mayor Glenn “Pig” Jones.
Tim Rutherford, Senior Citizens Inc. vice president, said some of his staff recently visited the center and noticed people praying shortly before lunch was served. Rutherford said his company provides meals like baked chicken, steak tips and rice and salads at a cost of about $6 a plate. Seniors taking the meals pay 55 cents and federal money foots the rest of the bill, Rutherford said.
“We can’t scoff at their rules,” he said of federal authorities. “It’s a part of the operational guidelines.”
Rutherford said the moment of silence was introduced to protect that funding. He said although the change may have been misinterpreted, perhaps his company could have done a better job selling it.
“It’s interpreted that we’re telling people that they can’t pray, but we aren’t saying that,” he said. “We’re asking them to pray to themselves. Have that moment of silence.”
Mayor Jones said he was outraged by the change and has promised to find a solution.
It sounds like Senior Citizens Inc. has implemented this policy instead of it specifically being handed down from the Feds, to keep from violating the “separation of church and state” mandate from the Feds.
Way to stand up for freedom of speech Senior Citizens Inc! Fight the Power!
Yeah, right.