An Atheist MP has called for the reciting of the Lord's Prayer before every sitting of parliament to be scrapped and replaced with a 'moment of reflection'.

Fiona Patten, member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Northern Metropolitan Region, is leading the charge to remove the 'sombre recitation'.

The MP said the prayer does not reflect Victoria's diverse community, and argued parliament should not privilege one religion over another.

Fiona Patten, member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Northern Metropolitan Region, has said the reciting of the Lord's Prayer does not reflect Victoria's diverse community

Ms Patten suggested those gathered in the Upper House of Parliament should instead spend the time in silence or reflecting on their responsibilities to the state +3

She said more than half her colleagues chose to take a secular affirmation rather than a religious oath when they were sworn in.

'That's because we all come from diverse backgrounds, with a diverse range of beliefs — just like the Victorian community we represent,' she said.

Ms Patten said because she is not religious, she chooses to stand outside the chamber and wait until the prayer is over as a sign of respect.

'I’m not the only one who does this. A growing number of MPs do the same and it’s hard for us not to feel like the naughty children who have to wait outside,' she said.

The MP said the move would extend the right to other religious groups to have a moment of silence with their faith, or simply have some time to reflect

The Reason Party MP said the move would extend the right to other religious groups to have a moment of silence with their faith, or simply have some time to reflect.

'So - rather than the parliament being divided into two groups, those who are Christian and those who aren’t - we can have a moment of mutual respect for one another,' Ms Patten said.

'Before the yelling, pointing and mud-slinging starts, we can all just shut up for a bit.'

The founder and leader of the Reason Party provided a link to a petition on her website where individuals could support her motion by emailing their local MP.

The motion, dubbed 'A Parliament for All', stated the reciting of the Lord's Prayer did not represent the range of beliefs in the nation's 'most diverse state'.

'Victoria is home to hundreds of religions, one third of us are not religious, and one in ten follow a faith other than Christianity,' the statement reads.

'People of any faith can pray, and those who are not religious can contemplate the importance of their responsibilities to the people of Victoria.'