Hi there, I've been having a discussion with someone regarding a cultural practice called a karakia. It's basically a Maori prayer shared at the beginning of a meeting or event.

The discussion centers around cultural practices in a secular environment. I support the Maori culture but not the religious aspect and have said that Karakia shouldn't be performed in public secular environments (govt, schools, councils etc).

The person I'm in discussion with says prayer isn't inherently religious and calls the karakia 'secular prayer' even though it most often references God or deified ancestors.

The guy I'm talking with isn't very good at presenting a straight forward argument and I'm trying to conduct a good faith discussion, not win an argument so I'm looking to explore the notion of secular prayer.

TYIA for any engagement.