A pagan minister offered the daily invocation in the Iowa House, sparking some protests by lawmakers.
The first of its kind prayer in the chamber came as Christians flooded the statehouse on Home School Day.
Priestess Deborah Maynard of the Cedar Rapids Unitarian Church was there at the invitation of Freshman Democratic Representative Liz Bennett, who says she wanted to showcase Iowa diversity. Maynard’s religion is pagan and nature-based. She prayed to earth, air, fire and water.
“We call this morning to spirit,” Maynard says, “which is ever present to help us respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are apart.”
The evangelical group the Family Leader e-mailed members who turned out at the capitol to pray for the priestess. Up in the gallery, Pastor Mike Demastus of Fort Des Moines Church of Christ led a Christian prayer for Maynard’s salvation.
“The occult is dark,” Demastus says. “It is not the place to seek guidance from.”
One Republican lawmaker says it wasn’t a coincidence the capitol was shrouded in fog as Maynard spoke. But Mount Pleasant Republican David Heaton says some might question whether there should be a prayer at all.
“If we want to make a stink about who can do this and who can’t,” Heaton says, “we’re liable to lose the whole thing.”
Some senators came over to the House just to listen.