Manitoba mulls changes to daily prayer read in legislature to make it more inclusive

The Manitoba government is looking to change the daily prayer at the legislature to make it more reflective of the province’s residents, including people of different faiths, atheists and those who believe in secularism in the public sphere.“I’m asking faith leaders and people who grapple with the questions of secularism and what does it mean to be a Manitoban today to look at this opening prayer and say, ‘Is there a way that we could spend this minute that more accurately reflects who we are as Manitobans today?”’ Premier Wab Kinew said Thursday.“Is there a way that we could preserve the space for those who believe in God, and people such as myself who pray every day, but also to be more inclusive – inclusive of different faith traditions, but also inclusive of people who pride secularism in our society, people who may define themselves as atheists or non-believers?”