Monday, June 30, 2014

Sheriff Defies ACLU: July 4th Prayer in Louisiana

Sheriff Julian Whittington will host the second annual 4th of July “In God We Trust Rally” in Bossier City, Louisiana where everyone is invited to enjoy food, fun, patriotic and Christian music, along with prayer on public property. Louisiana’s American Civil Liberties Union has complained that the event is illegal.
“I think Bossier Parish is a better place with Christianity and Christian values involved in it. I am an elected official. I’m also a citizen here. I think this is what’s best for us. I don’t work for anybody in Washington. What they do, what they say, I couldn’t really care less,”
-- Sheriff Julian Whittington, Bossier Parish
For background, read Atheists Fret Supreme Court Ruling Favoring Prayers in Christian America

And also read the resulting resurgence in public prayer following the Supreme Court decision.

-- From "Bossier Sheriff's office to host 4th of July 'In God We Trust' rally" posted at KTBS-TV 3 (Shreveport, LA) 6/24/14

. . . Throughout the ceremony, there will be church singing groups, patriotic videos and remarks.

Sheriff Whittington will honor Posse members who served in World War II and recognize Young Marines success stories. Students from Princeton Elementary School will read their award-winning essays of "What Does Freedom Mean to Me," and one local pastor will make you laugh with his imitations of the Presidents.

. . . Sheriff Whittington will offer his remarks, and Gov. Bobby Jindal will also deliver a special message via video. The Sheriff will also make a check presentation to show the thousands of dollars that have been donated to the Young Marines program after the federal government denied grant funding last spring. Sheriff Whittington made it very clear to the Department of Justice that he was not going to remove voluntary prayer and the mention of God from the Young Marines program in order to receive the grant money and stood firm that the program would continue…with or without federal aid.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Bossier Sheriff stands for his right to pray when, where and with whom he pleases" by Adam Duvernay, Shreveport Times 6/28/14

“Last year, we didn’t really know what we were doing and we had so many people, so much reaction from people, so we held the event and over 1,000 people showed up and said, ‘We agree with you. For a nation that was founded on Christian values, our government was formed around it, it’s on our money, it’s in our oath, we pledge as elected officials, to somehow now say it’s somehow taboo or you have to run with it is ridiculous. We agree with you. Stick with it,’” Whittington said.

That’s how Bossier City resident Holly Lanaghan feels about it, anyway. She said everything — from schools to local governments — is improved by closer ties to God. She supports Whittington’s stance and practices.

“It sure can’t hurt. When you take God out, that’s when things start going downhill. I think more people support the sheriff than don’t,” Lanaghan said. “There’s one God and he loves everybody. It doesn’t matter what title you want to hang on yourself. God is not about religion. He’s about the relationship we should have with him.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read FDR's D-Day Prayer is Un-American, Say Atheists

And read of the myriad atheist lawsuits against Christians and prayer nationwide.

However, in response, read of countless examples of citizens banding together to defy the atheists and pray in school and other local government bodies, and also read the long list of states enacting laws to bring prayer back to schools.