To the editor:

When reading the Aug. 19 Journal-World, I saw an article which stated that a former state employee is suing the Secretary of State’s Office, claiming she was fired because she refused to attend prayer meetings in Secretary Kobach’s office. This is being vigorously denied by the secretary himself.

I’m not sure the practice conforms to the idea of separation of church and state. I’m not convinced this practice leads to a healthy work environment. There have been rumors for years that these prayer meetings were compulsory and resented by many who feared for their jobs if they did not attend.

I’m assuming by the rhetoric that has trickled out of Topeka that these are Christian prayer meetings. Yet, the actions of the governor’s administration and the Legislature seem to have little to do with the teachings of Jesus. The poor, the disabled, the hungry are hung out in the wind to dry and blow away like flaking parchment while the rich are coddled and showered with favors. Where, exactly, does one find Jesus in this scenario?