A leader of a Central Florida group of atheists, humanists and nonbelievers said he felt disrespected by Lake County officials who responded to his secular invocation at a county commission meeting Tuesday by asking a government employee to offer a Christian one.
The Central Florida Freethought Community, a chapter of the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates for atheists and agnostics, also wants Lake County to stop what the group described as discriminatory “corrective” prayer invocations.
“It’s a form of discrimination,” said Joseph Richardson, director of Central Florida Freethought.
The disagreement between the group and Lake County government arose this week after Richardson delivered a 90-second invocation on behalf of “non-religious citizens” to start the commission meeting. He thanked the board and county staff but did not mention God.
“May we appreciate each and every voice that enters the chamber with hearts and minds open,” Richardson said. “May we dream and design a bold future for Lake County where all voices are heard and everyone is uplifted at their time of need, and may we work together with honesty and integrity, guided by rational thought and critical thinking with a shared sense of responsibility.”
Then Fred Schneider, director of Lake County Public Works, took the microphone.
“I was just asked a few minutes ago if I would lead in the prayer. So, I’m happy to do so. So, if you would like to join me, feel free to do so,” he said. “Thank you, Father God in Heaven, for your blessings over this county and the people of Lake County. We ask you to bless our families, our friends, our loved ones, our county commissioners, our elected officials. We pray for wisdom for our county commissioners and elected officials, wisdom from God to help them make the right choices for the people.”
Schneider’s 50-second prayer, which ended, “In Jesus’ name, amen,” proves prayer at government meetings is unnecessary, inappropriate and divisive, Christopher Line, the Freethought group’s attorney, wrote in a letter to Lake County Commission Chairman Kirby Smith.
“This Christian prayer, delivered because the invocation Mr. Richardson gave was not sufficiently Christian, was discriminatory, unconstitutional, and a slap in the face to all of Lake County’s non-Christian citizens,” he wrote, urging the board to end all invocations.
He pointed out the county does not provide a secular rebuttal to religious invocations.
“We urge you to concentrate on civil matters and leave religion to the private conscience of individuals by ending the practice of hosting prayers at your meetings,” Line wrote. “But as long as the board continues to allow citizens to deliver invocations to begin its meetings, it must treat all invocations the same, with no ‘corrective’ Christian prayer offered after a non-Christian prayer has finished.”
Through a spokesperson, Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks said he asked Schneider to lead a prayer but didn’t say why.
“We try to be inclusive and welcoming here in Lake County. It was not my intent to hurt or demean Mr. Richardson’s message,” said Parks, who was serving as board chair Tuesday. “We would welcome them back if they wish to lead the invocation in the future.”
The group has offered opening remarks for the Lake County commission meeting four times since May 2021.
Parks said he would apologize.
“I’m saddened to hear that Mr. Richardson felt he was mistreated during the invocation,” he said.
People wishing to lead an invocation should contact Lake County government at 352-343-9800.
The only requirement for participation is Lake County residency.
Line pointed out that citizens, including those who are skeptics or who don’t have deep-rooted religious beliefs, must come before local governing bodies to participate in critical community decisions affecting their livelihoods, property, children, and quality of life.
“It is coercive and intimidating for these nonreligious citizens to come to a public meeting and be required either to make a public showing of their non-belief or to show deference to a religious sentiment they do not believe in, but which their board members clearly do.”
Line reminded county leaders the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that a government body’s invocation policy cannot advance one religion over another or promote religion over nonreligion. He cited a 2019 federal court ruling against Brevard County, concluding it had wrongfully organized and conducted its invocations in a manner that discriminated against nonbelievers.
The case, filed on behalf of the Central Florida Freethought Community, led to a settlement in which the county agreed to stop discriminatory practices and pay $490,000 in damages and attorney fees. The group pushed to be part of invocation rotations throughout Central Florida.
Although Richardson said his secular invocations have previously prompted Christian responses at government meetings in Apopka, Eustis and Winter Garden, he said he has delivered nonreligious openings at past Lake County commission meetings “with no problems.”
“It needs to be understood and repeated over and over and over again that we’re not a Christian country. This is a country where people are allowed to be Christian, where people are allowed to be atheist and Muslim and Jewish and all of those other things,” he said.
“We don’t have to open meetings with a Christian prayer every time.”
Richardson said he hopes Tuesday was an aberration and the lawyer’s letter will be an effective reminder for Lake leaders.
“I think and hope that they will understand what they did was wrong and disrespectful; they will stop doing it; and they will even issue an apology, which I think is owed,” he said.
