LINCOLN COUNTY, NC — Lincoln County Commissioner Carrol Mitchem wants to keep it Christian.
He says no other religions are welcome to pray at Lincoln County Commission meetings if he has anything to do with it.
“They don’t need to be in here praying to Allah or whoever they pray to,” said Commissioner Mitchem. “Who do they pray to? Buddha?”
Some residents are not happy with comments he made to the Lincoln Times-News after last week’s Federal Court ruling that Rowan County Commissioners violated the Constitution by only praying in Jesus’ name at public meetings.
“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that don’t happen. We’re going to continue to pray as usual,” said Mitchem.
He also added, “They don’t like it, stay the hell away.”
“If we are going to pray, it should be for all the prayers,” said Jesus Gonzales. “It’s going to take a long time before we start a meeting.”
Even those who agree with the Christian-only stance agreed everyone deserves equal prayer opportunity.
“I hate that he went off on other religions, because I think we have to be tolerant in that way,” said Nancy Breedlove.
The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina tells WCCB Charlotte:
“Government officials who discriminate against people on the basis of religion violate our Constitution’s First Amendment which protects freedom of religion for all, not just those who are in the majority.”
Fellow Commissioner Martin Oakes is distancing himself from Mitchem’s comments. He says there are bigger issues to work on than the prayer.
“We need to be tolerant and not go sue everybody or say outrageous statements about others’ religion,” said Commissioner Oakes.
Oakes says by law, any religious leader in Lincoln County can pray at public meetings, but records show no temples or mosques in the county.
There are more than 100 churches in Lincoln County; all of them are Christian. According to City-Data research, more than 50 percent of residents are Southern Baptist. Only five percent consider themselves something other than the top Christian religions.
Mitchem didn’t return calls for comment Monday. Workers at his Vale restaurant said he wasn’t there when WCCB Charlotte showed up to talk.
The ACLU says people who feel discriminated against need to contact leaders there at 919-834-3466.
