COMMENTARY: NYC Mayor Bloomberg Needs to Allow Prayer at 9/11 Ceremony

On September 11, 2011, a ceremony observing the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center will be held at Ground Zero in New York City.

Unfortunately, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided there will be no clergy or prayers at the upcoming ceremony.

Bloomberg, a secularist, said the ceremony -- instead of prayer -- will have a mixture of readings that are spiritual, historical, and personal in nature.

But to have a memorial service ceremony without prayer does not provide the respect, love, and dignity that the hundreds of innocent victims of 9/11 deserve. The fact is that prayer can never be adequately replaced by a secular ceremony, because prayer relates to a higher authority.

That's why the Family Research Council has initiated a petition expressing the frustrations of a plethora of Americans who believe prayer should be part of the 9/11 ceremonies.

More than 55,000 people have already signed the petition, which urges Mayor Bloomberg to reconsider his decision to exclude prayers and clergy.

The petition -- which is direct and emphatic -- tells Mayor Bloomberg, in part: "Your plan to exclude pastors and prayers from Ground Zero commemoration is not only offensive to the families of victims, but strangely overlooks the role that faith played in bringing healing to countless lives."

The petition also criticizes the New York mayor for inviting politicians -- rather than first responders, including the city's police and firefighters -- to the ceremony. It states: "This nation needs prayer more than politics."

For Mayor Bloomberg, secularism and politics appear to be more important than religion and prayer.

Nonetheless, Mayor Bloomberg needs to be mindful of the fact that he represents all of the people of New York City -- the vast majority of whom prefer to have prayers at the 9/11 tenth anniversary ceremony.

Consequently, the mayor needs to reconsider his decision to exclude prayers and clergy, and allow prayer to be part of the 9/11 ceremony. In the final analysis, Mayor Bloomberg has an obligation to carry out the wishes of the citizens of New York City that he represents -- even though these wishes may not be compatible with his own.