WALHALLA, S.C. - The Oconee County Council had a prayer in it chambers before Tuesday's meeting, then decided afterward to have a public meeting next week to discuss whether to continue the practice.

American Civil Liberties Union members were on hand. They have challenged the county for allowing prayers that reference Jesus and single-out one religion for nearly two years now.

The Council needs to carefully discuss its options for a prayer before meetings, County Attorney Brad Norton said.

"What we can do legally is very clear. We can very easily follow the law, but if we decide to gamble and stretch how far the law will go and the court says we're wrong, it will cost us in the neighborhood of $150,000 (to) $250,000 in attorneys' fees," Norton said.

The ACLU started watching the council after former councilman the Rev. Bill Rinehart would pray before meetings in the name of Jesus.

Rinehart, who didn't run for re-election, also was the council's chaplain. Instead of replacing that position, the council decided to ask the Oconee County Ministerial Association to provide a list of people to pray before meetings.

Eight minutes before Tuesday's meeting, the Rev. Mike Babb called on God to bless the nation - and offered his prayer in Jesus' name.

That led Greenville lawyer Neil Caesar, chairman of the Religious Liberties Task Force for the ACLU, to say the group still has problems with the council.

"It was a sectarian prayer in a public chamber formally before every council member," Caesar said. "That's problematic. Are they going to invite a Jew, a Buddhist, a Hindu or even a Satanist, anyone who wants to pray, before the next Christian?"

The ACLU didn't mind Babb's first prayer, which was held about 30 minutes before the meeting at a flagpole outside the building.

"They have a legal right to do that. I encourage that," said ACLU member Michael Deanhardt, who also attended the meeting.

However, the prayer session minutes before the meeting did not meet with equal approval.

"This will not be a success story in a court fight," Deanhardt said.