Doña Ana County drops Day of Prayer proclamation, sparking debate

LAS CRUCES — The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners opened its business meeting Tuesday with a vote quashing an annual proclamation recognizing the National Day of Prayer on May 1.

The action was preceded by a debate among the elected officials about what constitutes government endorsement of religion and how religion functions politically.

U.S. presidents have proclaimed the National Day of Prayer every year since 1952. Like many municipalities nationwide, the county has followed suit in previous years, but not without debate.

In 2023, commissioners amended the proclamation to remove an invitation to celebrate the event on the county government building’s lawn. The following year, County Chairman Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez sponsored a National Day of Prayer proclamation celebrating the spiritual traditions of Tortugas Pueblo in Doña Ana County, saying he wanted to craft a celebration of prayer more inclusive of the region’s history and richness of beliefs.

This year, commissioners voted 4-1 to remove the proclamation altogether from an agenda that included proclamations recognizing National Volunteer Week, International Dark Sky Week, National Bike Month and Fair Housing Month.

“I think if people want to congregate on public property, they should be allowed to, that is fine,” Commissioner Manuel Sanchez said, “but in terms of the county recognizing it, celebrating it, I don’t agree … I think that should be best left to the public to determine how they want to celebrate that.”

Sanchez also denounced comments he had heard during past prayer events and public meetings he characterized as hateful and divisive.

Opposing the removal of the proclamation, Commissioner Susana Chaparro said, “We are a community of traditional faithful people for the most part. ... To be able to express ourselves through a moment of silence or a moment of prayer, I think, is important to this community.”

The vote prompted a barrage of criticism during public comments, with some speakers noting that the meeting fell shortly after Easter. Several speakers connected religion, and Christianity specifically, to stable family structures, ethical behavior and social norms.

Although 62% of U.S. adults identified as Christians in recent polling by the Pew Research Group, several Christian commenters claimed their faith was being marginalized in society. A few others argued against any endorsement of religious practice by government.

The commissioners’ meetings have also been a regular forum for debate among the public about the invocations that regularly open the commissioners’ meetings, with some calling for the practice to be ended. The opening prayers began with nondenominational blessings in 2005, and expanded to prayers offered by local faith leaders in 2018.

Commissioner Shannon Reynolds attempted to draw a line between municipal governance and cultural debates about religion.

“We’re doing our job as elected officials here, we’re not doing our job as religious zealots or religious of any kind,” he said, “so please allow us to do what we believe we were elected to do.”