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Atheist Delivers Invocation At Alabama City Council Meeting

Huntsville City Hall. (Wikimedia Commons)
Huntsville City Hall. (Wikimedia Commons)

When an atheist gave the invocation at a Huntsville, Alabama, city council meeting last month, some people bowed their heads as they had done during opening prayers in the traditionally Christian community.

According to the media group “Alabama,” it was the first “non-theist invocation to open a public meeting” in Alabama.

The message began “Dearly Beloved,” and went on to praise the “wisdom, courage, justice,” of the American people.

Jeannie Robison, the executive director of the Interfaith Mission Service, is responsible for identifying people to deliver the message.

She joins Here & Now’s Robin Young to discuss how the message was received.

Guest

  • Jeannie Robison, executive director of the Interfaith Mission Service and an ordained deacon of the Episcopal church.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.