Tresa Baldas

Detroit Free Press

A metro Detroit politician who posted a prayer for Belgium on his Facebook page in the wake of this week’s terror attacks has drawn the ire of critics, who believe he crossed the line in expressing his religious beliefs on social media.

The critics, though, were outnumbered by supporters who welcomed his prayerful ways.

Shelby Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis — the man at the center of the controversy — believes he’s done nothing wrong, arguing the right to pray is protected by the Constitution and that the comments in question appeared on his personal Facebook page, not a government one. Next to his Facebook profile picture are the words: Rick Stathakis, Shelby Township Supervisor, Government Official.

His critics note that his Facebook page makes clear he is a government official, and they want him to keep God and prayer out of politics. Stathakis, who has stirred controversy in the past by having prayer before public meetings, isn’t budging, arguing there’s nothing unlawful or unethical about praying for terrorism victims.

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“There is religious freedom in this country, even if you are in office,” Stathakis told the Free Press. “I’m not imposing my faith on anyone. All I’m doing is expressing my faith.”

At issue is this message that Stathakis posted on his Facebook page following the suicide bombings that killed at least 31 people in Brussels on Tuesday: “Mighty God, Shine your radiance into every corner of this dark and fallen world. Send your angel armies into Brussels, and heal the land. Hear the prayers of those who call to you, calm them with Your peace, and soothe the souls of those who lost loved ones in this attack. Amen.”

He also included a quote from the Bible: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble,” Psalm 46:1-2.

So far, the post has gotten 148 likes, 12 shares and 30 comments -- the longest ones from a handful of critics who pounced on Stathakis for expressing his religious views.

“As a government official, it is unconstitutional for you to use your official position to promote the establishment of faith. It violates the most basic legal principles of the United States of America. In addition to being unconstitutional, it is highly offensive to your constituents. Please remove all religious references from government materials and keep your faith to yourself,” wrote one Facebook user, Rafael Saakyan.

Another Facebook user, who goes by the name “Dealing with Dimwits Daily,” urged Stathakis to “get this illegal sectarian mumbo jumbo off a Government internet presence.”

Shelby Township resident Darcy Lewis, who disagreed with the “prayer works” message in Stathakis’ post, wants Stathakis to stop publicly expressing his views.

“There is no place for religion in government, and the Constitution makes it clear that no religion can be preferred over another,” Lewis told the Free Press in an e-mail. “This is a very uncomfortable situation for many of us who live here, and we are upset that our city supervisor not only doesn’t care at all, but also doesn’t seem to care at all about the law ... All we want is the removal of all religious material from any pages that officially represent our city or its leaders and that they understand that no expression or support of any one particular religion is appropriate in ANY government context.”

Most Facebook commenters, however, supported and applauded Stathakis for his religious message.

"I'm thankful for a city council that prays," wrote Facebook user Annamarie Isken-Parsons.

" Prayers are absolutely necessary," wrote Nickole Luczak.

"Very proud of you Mr Stathakis -- we need to STOP the HATE. it's prayer that will call upon our Lord to help our planet," wrote Katherine Duncan.

Stathakis vowed to continue expressing his religious beliefs, and called his critics “misguided.”

“My position of Township Supervisor does not preclude me from expressing my Christian beliefs just as it would not preclude you from expressing your views if you were elected to office,” Stathakis wrote on Facebook. “I am not using my office or standing in the community to make everyone or even anyone Christian. I am simply offering support for the victims. My hope is that this is a conversation between adults, who are presumptively not susceptible to religious indoctrination, who may freely enter and leave the conversation without comment and for any number of reasons.”

Stathakis also stressed: “This is not a government Facebook page. This is my personal page.”

Doesn’t matter, countered Facebook user Rafael Saakyan, who wrote: “The difference is that you are speaking as “Rick Stathakis — Shelby Township Supervisor” not as “Rick Stathakis”. Your position does preclude you from promoting any religious belief or creed in an official capacity, which is precisely what you are doing with this page. When you are acting in an official capacity, you are no longer a private citizen. This is why judges cannot preach from the bench, or public teachers in front of the classroom.”

Stathakis, meanwhile, is going to continue his prayerful ways.

“Through two successful campaigns for office I have never made a secret of my Christian faith and my love of prayer,” Stathakis wrote on Facebook. “My faith and prayer have helped me through many challenges during public service.”

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Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com