(Submitted by Not In Our Town Bowling Green)
Not In Our Town Bowling Green (NIOT) supports respect for all religions under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Here in Bowling Green, we view our different faith traditions as a great gift rather than a problem. Through our six years, we have worked toward a goal of mutual respect for all our community members in all their religious beliefs and traditions.
Our federal and local government recognized May 2 as The National Day of Prayer (NDOP). We stand with all those in Bowling Green who felt excluded from the day because of a local NDOP observance here in Bowling Green. This observance was promoted by the (private) National Day of Prayer Task Force, as it has for many years, often held on the County Courthouse steps. This was a religious ceremony led exclusively by one branch of the Christian tradition, not supported by all our local Christian churches.
We encourage the community to recognize this annual event as a private Christian event, in which other faith traditions may not speak. We call on all media to clarify this matter in their reporting. This is AN observance of the National Day of Prayer, not THE observance, and it should never be identified as a “community” observance since the full community is not fully welcome. We feel that all public officials who speak at such an observance should be clear about whether they are speaking in their public or private roles.
Additionally, NIOT has demonstrated our beliefs through positive actions, rather than attempting to compete with or dismantle an ongoing event. Our values have evolved into our Annual Bowling Green Community Interfaith Breakfast, which has drawn over 200 people each year since 2014. Having this type of event enriches our community through exposure to differing beliefs in a thoughtful, welcoming, and positive environment. If anyone does not leave this event feeling enlightened about another religion, we have not done our job.
We welcome any and all observances of the National Day of Prayer, and hope that additional ceremonies will reflect the intent of the federal and local proclamations, which are explicitly welcoming to people of all faith streams (or none). We hope to continue this inclusive type of event and are looking to add another interfaith activity this summer.
Creating a welcoming and inclusive community for EVERYONE in Bowling Green will require that all of us work together. We invite interested parties to contact us atedunipace@woodlane.us or attend our monthly meetings held on the first Thursday of every month. Our only requirement is that EVERYONE is welcome and gets a seat at the table, EVERYONE gets a friendly and warm greeting, and EVERYONE is respected.
