I recently read York- Simcoe MPP Julia Munro's article, There are ways to show support for the Lord's Prayer, in The Scope's May 21 edition.

I believe there should be no religious observance to open each day's session of the Legislature. Those who want religious observances should do so in private. The Speaker's reading the Lord's Prayer implies Christianity is the right religion for all good Ontarians to believe in - and Protestant Christianity at that, since the prayer is read from the King James version of the Bible.

I am, however, suspicious of Premier Dalton McGuinty's motives in wanting the

replace the Lord's Prayer with something else. What he likely has in mind is

readings from the various religions of the world. This would make the interfaith movement the right religion for all good Ontarians to believe in, and imply that all religions are basically one, that it does not matter what religion you believe in and that those who think their religion is truer or better than others are bigots.

What is especially double-faced about McGuinty's behaviour is that he is a Catholic school supporter and as such enjoys privileges denied to those of other faiths. I believe it was a mistake in judgement made by Progressive Conservative leader John Tory in the last election, when he promised to extend school funding to those of other faiths.

I also think it was despicable of former premier William Davis to saddle his party with the extension of Catholic school funding and then jump ship, dumping the loss that he knew would take place onto Frank Miller's lap.

For McGuinty to present himself as a defender of the public school system in the last election was utter hypocrisy. He should get his meat hooks out of my wallet. The NDP is no better.

When I lived in Sudbury, my MPPs were Eli and Shelley Martel, later Howard Hampton's fatherin law and wife. They were Catholic school supporters and treated those of us who favour one non-sectarian school system with utter contempt.

If you want to do something useful, introduce a private member's bill abolishing Catholic school funding. Don't use the constitution as an excuse.

If Newfoundland and Quebec can abolish their denominational schools, so can

Ontario. There is even a clause in the Ontario Human Rights Code exempting

Catholic schools from its provisions. If Catholics are getting special funding for their schools at least they should have to obey the Human Rights Code. You can introduce a private member's bill requiring that - and fire from the Human Rights Commission any commissioners who are Catholic school supporters.

Recently, Scope news editor Chris Simon proposed replacing the Lord's Prayer with two minutes of silence. I would prefer no observance at all. However, Simon's proposal is better than a mish mash of readings from various religions. Maybe he will write another comment advocating the abolishment of Catholic school funding.

Barry Kendall,

Innisfil