Spokane _ Correction (1/31/01): A photo caption on the following story misstated the first name of the City Council's parliamentarian. His name is Don Moeller.

Public prayers prior to Spokane City Council meetings are unconstitutional and at odds with the city's pursuit of diversity, members of the Spokane Human Rights Commission told the council Monday.

In a strongly worded letter read to the council, commission members urged the council to observe a moment of silence or drop its opening invocation altogether.

The Human Rights Commission, which has discussed the issue since June, reached its position in a 9-0 vote Tuesday.

After noting that both the U.S. Constitution and the Washington Constitution place limits on the interaction between church and state, the letter reminded the council of its own stated goals.

"Invocation to any deity is in conflict with the City Council's own commitment to the promotion of diversity and respect for the various cultures in Spokane," said Human Rights Commission member Morton Alexander, reading the letter to the council.

While the invocation has been challenged in the past, it has been defended as constitutional by the city attorney's office.

The commission's opinion was heartily endorsed by Councilman Steve Eugster, who has echoed its sentiments in the past and who asked that the letter be read during his council report.

Earlier this year, the outspoken Eugster had charged council members with attempting to stifle him by choosing prayers that encourage unity and harmony of thought.

"We have to make it very clear that all are welcome," Eugster said. "We send a terrible message when the pious amongst us insist on a sectarian invocation."

Councilwoman Roberta Greene was alone on the council in defending the invocation. She took issue with both the letter and Eugster's position.

The council's invocation is given by members of many religions, Greene said, and that offers an opportunity to learn about Spokane's varied faiths.

"Having folks here of different religions here promotes diversity," Greene said. "It does not promote divisiveness. Anything can be divisive; anything can be ugly."

The council in no way is endorsing any particular religion, Greene said.

"Your conclusion is that we are trying to promote religion and that is categorically incorrect," Greene said.

But the Human Rights Commission's letter said that since most of the invocations were Christian in nature, they exclude nonbelievers and those of other faiths.

The letter points out that Spokane residents include agnostics, atheists, Bahais, Buddhists, Christians, humanists, Jews, Muslims, Native Americans, pagans, Shintos, Subuds, Wiccans and others.

"The council's public display of, and reverence toward any one of these diverse and sometimes opposite creeds is risky business, fraught with potential for exclusion and offense," the letter states.

Alexander said he did not expect any immediate change in the council's policy, but hoped that it will consider the matter.

"If there is discussion about this issue, that is an accomplishment," he said following the meeting. "If they discuss why it is divisive, why it hurts people's feelings, that will be an accomplishment."