Labor's leaders in the Senate have confirmed the reading of the Lord's Prayer at the start of each sitting day in parliament will continue after atheist Senate President Sue Lines said she would like to see the 121-year tradition 'gone'.
Senator Lines was criticised on Thursday after she called for the formality to be removed because, as an atheist, she did not want to say the prayer.
The reading of the Lord's Prayer will continue despite calls from the Senate President. Picture: Mick Tsikas - Pool/Getty Images “I don’t mind the prayer. I’m not a religious person but it is very much part of the Senate tradition,” Senator Gallagher told The Australian. “On the one hand we’ve had almost every parliamentary leader applaud the diversity of the Parliament and so if we are genuine about the diversity of the Parliament we cannot continue to say a Christian prayer to open the day,” Senator Lines told The Australian.
“Personally I would like to see them gone but again it’s not something I can decree. It’s a view of the Senate.” “Even those of us who are not of faith can benefit from the period of reflection these commencement traditions allow for and should respect rather than unwind them.”“Is it an unreasonable thing to quote from a book that more than half the population is committed to? In Australia it is,” he said.
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