UNITED NATIONS: No Time for Prayer

A lot of people think that what U.N. needs most is divine guidance. Ever since its foundation, letters have poured in urging that U.N. open its sessions with a prayer. A nondenominational “prayer room” was proposed for U.N.’s new Manhattan headquarters. Bowing to the fact that U.N.’s members are of many different faiths (some are specifically atheistic), a special committee of the General Assembly last week dodged the explosive issue. It recommended merely that each annual assembly session be opened and closed with a minute of silence, which each delegate would be free to use for prayer, for meditation, or reflection on the five-year plan.

The minute-long nod to God—or to production in the ball-bearing works—was calculated to give the least offense to the smallest number. Even so, it barely got by. Out of 15 committee members only eight voted for it; the Soviet Union, France and two others abstained; three members had stayed away from the meeting.