A tradition some believe is outdated and exclusionary is up for debate at Queen's Park.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said he's considering replacing the daily reading of the Lord's Prayer in the provincial legislature because it doesn't reflect the diversity of Ontarians.
The prospect of removing the Christian prayer has upset many people and some 6,000 citizens have contacted the province about the proposal - the sheer number of complaints crashed a government website Monday.
McGuinty said public opposition and even the disapproval of his Catholic mother won't change his mind on this issue. He says it's the government's job to lead and the prayer doesn't represent the varied faiths of Ontarians. He's floating the idea of replacing the prayer with a moment of silence.
"I think we've got a responsibility to ensure that all people feel truly at home here," the premier said.
But some politicians don't believe the prayer needs debate. Conservative MPP Peter Shurman is Jewish and doesn't think this issue needs to be addressed. He said Queen's Park is already very open to other faiths and added that he recited the Lord's Prayer for 11 years while he attended school and it didn't change him.