At least not in the Tampa City Council
The Tampa City Council has a habit of starting each meeting with an invocation. But this tradition caused half of the council to walk out Thursday when Michael Harvey stepped up to the bat for a turn at inspiring the council to acts of wisdom. In fact, Councilman Kevin White called for a vote to either replace Harvey as the speaker or to skip the invocation altogether.
What caused such division among the council? Well, it seems that Harvey is an atheist, and many council members objected to an atheist speaking at a time usually reserved for prayer. White, who was the only council person to vote for his proposal, said he objected to a “hallowed moment” being used by Harvey to make a “political statement.”
Failing to garner the unanimous vote required to stop the invocation, White, along with council members Mary Alvarez and Rose Ferlita, left the meeting room before Harvey began his remarks.
Alvarez opposed using the invocation as an opportunity for Harvey to criticize religion and said, “I [don't] have to sit here and listen to an atheist tell me what I should and shouldn't believe.”
Councilman John Dingfelder, who had invited Harvey to speak, spoke for giving people of varied beliefs a chance to give the invocation without censorship. He supported diversity by saying, “I thank God every day that I live in a country that accepts everybody.”
So what was the “political statement” that Harvey wanted to share with the council?
He asked the board to “seek inspiration from history, science, and logic.”
“Rather than clasping your hands, bowing your heads and closing your eyes, open your arms to that which truly makes us strong - our diversity,” Harvey said.
“Not all of us believe in the same way,” said Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena, “Sometimes it makes some of us uncomfortable to name a particular deity.”
Dingfelder also commented that, “We hear a lot of inappropriate stuff during the invocations, and we don't respond. I hope the message got across loud and clear that city hall is for everyone.”