“As long as I serve as mayor of Cleburne, I remain committed to begin our city council meetings with a prayer as has been our tradition for over 100 years. . . . It’s just part of our culture, part of who we are.”For background, read Atheists Threaten to Sue Every School in Tennessee and in Mississippi but admit they're Short on Lawyers to Sue ALL Christians
-- Mayor Scott Cain, Cleburne, Texas
Local governments across America are ignoring the threatened lawsuits, and the State of Texas Passed a Law Telling Schools to Ignore the Atheist Threats
UPDATE 1/2/14: Calif. Judge OKs Prayer at Eureka City Council
UPDATE 3/9/14: Ohio Councilman Won't Stop Praying in Jesus' Name
UPDATE 2/23/14: Saginaw, Michigan City Council Ignores Atheists' Threat
UPDATE 5/13/14: U.S. Supreme Court rules prayers to Jesus Christ OK at government meetings
-- From "Local officials endorse legislative prayer" by Matt Smith, Cleburne (Texas) Times Review 11/29/13
Should the [Supreme] Court rule opening prayers unconstitutional, Cain said the council will do everything possible to maintain the practice.
“I don’t, and I don’t think anyone here wants to allow atheists in New York state to decide our culture in Cleburne, Texas. That’s for Cleburne to decide. Now, keep in mind, I value the Constitution and the role of the Supreme Court so I’m not talking about disregarding the rule of law. But I am talking about committing to preserve our culture and way of life. The city belongs to the people and the will of the people. I think in political correctness we’ve lost sight of our values. I oppose state establishment of religion and believe those are questions for individuals to decide and it’s not the government’s business. But I also think when the government tells an individual they cannot exercise their constitutional rights, that is a problem.
“I think [should the Court rule prayer unconstitutional], there are creative ways to comply with the law yet maintain our sense of community.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "York County commissioners allow prayer at meetings, but with rules" by Ed Mahon, The York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record 11/30/13
[York County] President Commissioner Steve Chronister, first elected in 2003, said he's never heard anyone complain about having prayers at the start of county meetings. Commissioner Doug Hoke said the county has taken steps that help avoid controversy.
. . . the invocation at the beginning of the meeting is open to leaders of all religious faiths. County spokesman Carl Lindquist said in an email that the county makes requests to comply with the establishment clause and case law.
People who lead the invocation are asked to not advance any particular religion and to use more universal language, according to the guidelines they're provided.
County officials say they also have diversity. Meeting minutes from 2013 show that the people who have led the prayer include representatives from Presbyterian, Lutheran and other churches, as well as the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York and the New Africa Islamic Outreach Program.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "As Supreme Court weighs government prayers, practice continues in some Rockford area meetings" by Kevin Haas, Rockford (Illinois) Register Star 11/30/13
Before the Winnebago County Board tackled any government business Tuesday, board member Joe Hoffman bowed his head and thanked God for the privilege of allowing them to meet.
The district 10 Democrat led his fellow County Board members in a prayer for county employees and for the safety of military members before concluding: “In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.” A chorus of “amen” from both elected officials and other attendees followed.
A third of municipal and county government boards in Winnebago and Boone counties open their meetings with a prayer, the vast majority are Christian. Each handles it differently. In Rockford, a police chaplain leads the City Council. In Machesney Park, a different local preacher leads the prayer each meeting and in Winnebago County, board members rotate the responsibility of leading the invocation.
Separation of church and state, [Rockford Ald. Frank] Beach said, was meant to prevent government from demanding people belong to a particular church. It was not intended to take God out of government.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
The root issue is American Religious Liberty vs. Anti-Christian Totalitarianism
To read the latest attacks on Christian prayer by atheists, click label "PRAYER" below:
