I read with interest the column by David Offer concerning how Ann LePage’s prayer “offended” people.

I write for those who were not offended. As a first-term legislator, I know my God sent me to Augusta to work for the people and state. I did not plan to seek this role. However Jesus has better plans and so here I am. I believe I am in Augusta to speak his name.

What a great surprise to find that our Legislature is not a spiritual desert. The legislative weekly prayer caucus is a time of bonding and fellowship before we go out and do necessary and hard work.

In this past five months, I have pointed out during committee work multiple times that not all of us subscribe to the interpretation of separation of church and state. In fact I have never found those words in our Constitution.

If you want to argue about Supreme Court rulings, I would find many rulings in history that eventually were wrong and changed. As to how Christians would react to prayers from a Muslim or someone from another faith, well, we pray to open every daily session in the House and there was a prayer of Islam in recent weeks.

Christians in the room stood en masse and respected the moment. We were not threatened, and I know I said my own prayer to Jesus at the end.

The problem is not that Mrs. LePage spoke Jesus’ name but that we do not do it enough. That is not disrespectful to Offer or to any faith as I do not ask for his religion, be it atheist or other, to be silenced.

This job is difficult enough without asking me to leave my savior at the door.

Rep. Mike McClellan

House District 103

Raymond

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