The Lord's Prayer

Christ did not command His followers to recite the Lord's prayer before opening a session of Parliament.

Christ did command His followers to treat people the way we would like to be treated

-- NOT the way we ARE treated, or would be (we imagine) if we were in "their country you can bet!"

In many cases, you would lose that bet.

But even in the cases where you wouldn't -- so what? We are not called to treat people as they treat us (even if we think we are willing to endure heroically such mistreatment), but as we SHOULD be treated, i.e. with respect, given the dignity to make choices, even wrong ones (--assuming that is somehow wrong not to pray before a Session of Parliament).

I suppose Christ did not PROHIBIT Christian MPPs (or any others) who wish to from reciting the Lord's prayer before a session (or at any other time) -- as long as it is not done "to be seen by men".

I would be concerned if Parliament prohibited a member from quietly bowing his or her head in prayer before a session. As far as I know, that is not the case.

I suspect that when we bemoan this evidence of the slide away from Christian values or specific practices, we are actually feeling threatened by OUR loss of power and control over society. We feel unsafe.

However, we have to remember that whatever happens (such as in the days of the Pagan Roman Empire) God has NOT lost His power. We are as safe as the early Christians --

TOTALLY safe.