UPDATE: Tulsa city councilors voted 8-0 to adopt the new rule, calling for a moment of silence at the beginning of the 5:00 p.m. meetings, instead of an invocation.

One councilor abstained from the vote.

Original Story:

District 4 Tulsa City Councilor Laura Bellis proposed switching from an opening prayer at the start of City Council meetings to a moment of silence.

Current Council rules call for regular Wednesday meetings to begin with an invocational prayer that “should be cognizant of the many faiths in our community and shall not be used as an opportunity to proselytize or advance, or to disparage any faith or belief or the particular tenets or beliefs of individual faiths.”

Councilor Bellis proposed changing the rules to call for a moment of silence that is “an opportunity for meeting attendees, in the exercise of their individual choices, to reflect, meditate, pray, or engage in any other silent activity that does not interfere with, distract, or impede other attendees in the exercise of their individual choices.”

Bellis told KRMG she got the idea after observing members of the public at meetings who are not of the Christian faith.

“In those moments I’ve worried when there’s an invocation that’s usually Christian that they might not feel that their government represents them or feel included.” Councilor Bellis told KRMG.

She also pointed to recent opening prayers that caused a bit of controversy, one featuring a Pagan prayer and another showcasing an atheist.

“Councilors heard from a lot of different people who really just upset by that.” Bellis added. “It just kind of gave me the impetus thinking about my prior concerns and then my own experience as someone who’s Jewish that - hey - a lot of people feel that way when there’s a faith or sincerely held belief being shared that they might not align with.”

Bellis said she believes a moment of silence would make sure everyone feels welcome and included during meetings.