The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against the Point Pleasant Beach City Council for reciting the Lord's Prayer before its meetings begin.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of a former Jewish city employee who said she felt uncomfortable hearing the Christian prayer. The suit says the prayer unconstitutionally shows preference to a particular religion.
"People of all faiths and beliefs should feel welcome at public meetings," Sharon Cadalzo told New York television station WNYW. "It's a matter of fairness. No member of the community should feel that their beliefs exclude them from public life."
The city council has opened its meetings with the prayer since the mid-1990s.
Kevin Riordan, an attorney for Point Pleasant Beach, said that when the practice began at council meetings, there was no intention to discriminate against any one religion.
Source
The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of a former Jewish city employee who said she felt uncomfortable hearing the Christian prayer. The suit says the prayer unconstitutionally shows preference to a particular religion.
"People of all faiths and beliefs should feel welcome at public meetings," Sharon Cadalzo told New York television station WNYW. "It's a matter of fairness. No member of the community should feel that their beliefs exclude them from public life."
The city council has opened its meetings with the prayer since the mid-1990s.
Kevin Riordan, an attorney for Point Pleasant Beach, said that when the practice began at council meetings, there was no intention to discriminate against any one religion.
Source
13 comments:
Should the First Amendment rights of the town council be revoked just because one person's feelings were hurt?
There is no actual 'damage' other than her feeling 'uncomfortable'.
A court recently showed the ACLU to the door over this-- rightfully so.
This is not an 'establishment of religion'. It is merely a group of leaders asking for Divine favor-- their absolute right under our Constitution.
Well said McGruff. We are/were a Judeo-Christian nation and we based our society on that. We allow others who don't believe as we to practice as they please, but they should not be allowed to take away what is rightfully ours. If people don't like the way it is, they can go somewhere else that is pleasing to their beliefs. But please, leave our beliefs alone. We shed many lives for this way of life and I for one intend to do everything in my power to assure it stays that way. God Bless the USA!
The elites cannot allow us to recite words spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ as they still await their Messiah.
6:03, thanks for WEIGHING in, Jonathan.
5:28: can you direct us to the decision that you reference?
Here, 9:05:
http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2011/04/aclu-bites-dust-in-arizona-school.html
Show this to Shanty Shields!
SHAME on our council for even considering the cutting out of this prayer. Anyone who doesn't want to say it, doesn't have to. They can pray to their whatever in that time period. If we want to pray, there is no reason we can't!
ACLU is wasteful spending and should get the ax,,not social security.
8:15,
Nobody is stopping you from saying the Lord's Prayer during the moment of silence. Go for it. The council is simply acknowledging that (gasp) there are non-Christians in Salisbury.
I have a strange feeling you would be among the first to protest if someone led a Hindu prayer to start the meeting.
Well if the majority of the council wants to say the Lords Prayer, those that don not want to can twittle their thumbs or do what ever they want to during the prayer. Why should one or two people decide for the majority.
The majority of the Council can say the Lord's Prayer--to themselves. It reminds me of the often-quoted comment that prayer still exists in schools and will as long as there are math tests. Since there are so many now who do not practice Christianity--and some no religion at all--it makes sense that there be a moment for SILENT meditation before a meeting opens.
BOYCOTT the ACLU and write your conservative representative about denying our tax dollars to fund these idiots...
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