In "Private prayer no problem for AU," The Eagle editorial board was conscientious enough to realize that any formal prayer at commencement will always exclude those of different religions and those of no religion. The board was also correct that private institutions are not bound by the same rules as public universities.
However, just because institutional separation is not legally enforceable does not mean we should not strive for an inclusive ceremony. It is odd that the board would recognize the exclusivity of an invocation and then dismiss this negative because AU is a private university. A secular private school like George Washington University can only argue for the inclusion of an invocation for the sake of tradition, an utter logical fallacy. AU's best defense is its Methodist affiliation, which is now virtually invisible on campus save for the student-run AU Methodists. Also, despite AU's affiliation with the Methodists, we should remember that a secular Congress chartered it.
A formal prayer excludes more than just atheists. It excludes Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, and countless other religions who do not worship any god referenced at commencement. It divides us at a time of unity. Including individual formal prayers from multiple religious leaders, as University Chaplain Joe Eldridge indicated in "AU keeps prayer at grad," exacerbates the problem. As the imam leads his prayer, Christians in the audience will understand how awkward atheists feel throughout every invocation. The best solution to the exclusion problem is to remove all formal prayer and let students practice religion on their own terms. A religious ceremony privileges a select few worldviews; a secular ceremony excludes none, and that's best for everyone.
Jeremy Diamond President of AU Rationalists and Atheists
Matt Bulger Vice president of AU Rationalists and Atheists
Oliver Flynn Treasurer of AU Rationalists and Atheists
Jeff Aisen Senior member of AU Rationalists and Atheists
Michael Nadler Senior member of AU Rationalists and Atheists
Caitlin Treanor Senior member of AU Rationalists and Atheists
Andrey Verendeev Senior member of AU Rationalists and Atheists
