Saturday, July 20, 2013

Appeals Court Refuses Atheists, Prayers Continue

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled Friday that prayers to Jesus Christ at Hamilton County (Tennessee) Commission meetings may continue while the atheists' lawsuit proceeds.  It is widely believed that the case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
"I'm going to honor [God, the Creator]. And that's the bottom line."
-- Chester Bankston, Hamilton County Commissioner
For background, read Wisconsin Atheists Want Prayer Stopped in Hamilton County Tennessee

And also read Prayers in Government Meetings OK, Says San Francisco Court

In addition, read Atheists: Short on Lawyers to Sue ALL Christians as well as Atheists Threaten to Sue Every School in Mississippi

-- From "6th Circuit won't stop prayers before meetings" by Travis Loller, Associated Press 7/19/13

Brandon Jones and Tommy Coleman filed suit in June last year, claiming Hamilton County's prayers often invoke Jesus' name and promote Christianity in violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

In July 2012, a month after the lawsuit was filed, the commission adopted a policy that attempts to be more inclusive of other faiths by offering the opportunity to give the invocation to all of the religious leaders in the community. The policy also asks those religious leaders not to use the opportunity to convert others to their faiths or to disparage other faiths.

"They've done nothing different since they put this policy in place," [Robin Flores, the attorney for Jones and Coleman,] said. "They've actually made it worse."

The Kentucky League of Cities filed a brief in the case urging the court to deny the injunction. League attorney Larry Crain on Friday called the 6th Circuit ruling "a step in the right direction."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Federal court upholds local rule on prayer suit" by Louie Brogdon, Chattanooga Times Free Press 7/20/13

. . . the U.S. Supreme Court has taken up the case of Town of Greece v. Galloway, a New York lawsuit that mirrors the local prayer lawsuit. All attorneys involved in the Hamilton County case say the high court's decision on the New York case will settle legislative prayer.

Flores is awaiting permission from the high court to join the Galloway case as a "friend of the court."

[Steve Duggins, counsel to Hamilton County,] said the county has no intention of joining the Galloway case, but he will be paying attention to it.

"When that decision comes down, we will have a new set of rules or guidelines," he said. "We will presumably get a great deal more clarity on the guidelines when that case is decided."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Because of the intimidation tactics of atheist lawyer organizations, state governments across America are educating its citizens on constitutional religious liberty by passing laws in Texas, and Louisiana, and North Carolina, and South Carolina, and Missouri, and Mississippi, and Florida, and Tennessee.

The root issue is American Religious Liberty vs. Anti-Christian Totalitarianism