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Wylie Mayor Defends Religious Belief That Only Men Should Lead Public Prayer
Can you imagine the outrage if a Muslim Mayor demanded that all women cover themselves at City Hall?
Wylie Mayor Defends Religious Belief That Only Men Should Lead Public Prayer
The email exchange began Thursday when a Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Forrester asked Mayor Hogue if a local missionary group could “come to our next meeting and lead us in prayer before the meeting.”
Mayor Hogue agrees saying with one stipulation: "...that those leading the public prayer be young men."
“I am a Church of Christ preacher and I am a member of the Church of Christ and we take the new testament literally,” Mayor Hogue said.
In the email, Mayor Hogue quotes a bible verse that says: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
“What I will say is a woman can do absolutely anything and everything but if we're in a public setting, in a religious setting, the bibles teaches that she's not to say a public prayer or to lead the singing or to deliver the sermon,” Mayor Hogue said.
"I don't share those same beliefs," said Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Forrester.
In his 12 years as mayor, Hogue said he's only selected men to lead council meeting prayers.
Wylie resident Mary Shaddox disagrees with his beliefs.
“That's his right in his church and his home but he cannot bring it into a government office,” Shaddox said.
I think this is a great example of why the separation of church and state is vital. As Ms. Shaddox noted, the Mayor is free to hold those beliefs and practice them in his church, but the government is under no obligation to base its policies or practices on them. I mean, even the verse he cited specifies "it is a shame for women to speak in the church". The City Hall is not church, which one would think is obvious. So I have no idea why this Mayor thinks the City should operate according to his religious beliefs.Mayor Hogue agrees saying with one stipulation: "...that those leading the public prayer be young men."
“I am a Church of Christ preacher and I am a member of the Church of Christ and we take the new testament literally,” Mayor Hogue said.
In the email, Mayor Hogue quotes a bible verse that says: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
“What I will say is a woman can do absolutely anything and everything but if we're in a public setting, in a religious setting, the bibles teaches that she's not to say a public prayer or to lead the singing or to deliver the sermon,” Mayor Hogue said.
"I don't share those same beliefs," said Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Forrester.
In his 12 years as mayor, Hogue said he's only selected men to lead council meeting prayers.
Wylie resident Mary Shaddox disagrees with his beliefs.
“That's his right in his church and his home but he cannot bring it into a government office,” Shaddox said.
Can you imagine the outrage if a Muslim Mayor demanded that all women cover themselves at City Hall?