Justin Vacula on “Corbett” concerning Wilkes-Barre City Council prayer

Justin Vacula appeared on the June 14, 2013 episode of “Corbett” on WILK Newsradio to discuss his June 13, 2013 address to Wilkes-Barre City Council in which he objected to government-led prayer at council meetings and urged council to remove prayer from future governmental functions. Listen to his interview embedded below within this piece.

Vacula — repeating some remarks he made before council — explained that government-led prayer is exclusionary, divisive, unwelcome, and unnecessary. Further, he noted that the prayer — contrary to some news reporting — was not before meetings, but rather was during meetings – after the Pledge of Allegiance which is featured on meeting agendas. Citizens who attend public meetings (many religious, non-religious, and from diverse religious traditions) — Vacula argued — should not be subjected to government-endorsed prayer.

Corbett largely agreed with Vacula’s remarks in the interview; he considered Wilkes-Barre City Council prayer, led by Councilwoman Maureen Lavelle, to be “out of line” and “bad public policy.” Corbett is not optimistic, though, concerning whether council will remove prayer because, he says, they are not listening to Vacula and are of an old-school mentality “liking their Christian prayer.”

Watch Vacula’s address to council below and read more concerning his objection to council prayer in this extensive piece.