Posts Tagged ‘prayer’
NC lawmakers push resolution on prayer at meetings
Two Rowan County Republican lawmakers want their legislative colleagues to support a resolution backing their county commissioners and their use of sectarian prayers at official meetings.
Amid ACLU concern, Wyo. city stands by rodeo prayer
Jackson mayor says Town Council changed prayer to make it less sectarian, but courts have repeatedly found officially sponsored prayers to violate the First Amendment.
‘American Taliban’ seeks group prayer in Ind. prison
Trial starts today in lawsuit claiming prison officials are violating John Walker Lindh’s religious rights by preventing inmates from praying together daily.
Mo. voters to decide on religious-freedom amendment
Measure addresses prayer in public and states that students cannot be compelled to participate in school assignments or educational presentations that violate their religion.
2 prayer opponents tossed from Tenn. commission meeting
One of the men, who was already suing to end prayers at Hamilton County Commission meetings, has amended his suit to seek $100,000 in damages over the incident.
Justices won’t hear appeal over prayer at public meetings
High court leaves in place a 4th Circuit ruling that predominantly Christian prayers at the start of the Forsyth County, N.C., commission’s meetings violated the First Amendment.
Veterans groups, VA settle religious-discrimination suit
Federal judge still must approve consent decree in case accusing federal agency of restricting religious speech in burials at Houston cemetery.
4th Circuit nixes N.C. commission’s pre-meeting prayers
‘Legislative prayer must strive to be nondenominational so long as that is reasonably possible — it should send a signal of welcome rather than exclusion,’ judges say in 2-1 ruling against Forsyth County commissioners.
Congressman: I’ll oust Houston VA cemetery director
Houston Chronicle reports that John Culberson is working to eliminate funding for Arleen Ocasio, who is under fire over religious speech at veterans cemetery.
Houston, we have a prayer problem
National cemeteries shouldn’t be religion-free zones where grieving families need to apply in writing in order to offer a prayer. And they shouldn’t be places where volunteers are afraid to utter the G-word.
Gov. Perry’s call to prayer doesn’t foster ‘unity’
It’s unclear how organizing a governor-led, Christian-only day of prayer will bring people together in our religiously diverse society.
Texas governor’s call to prayer is legal, but troubling
Unlike most ‘prayer proclamations,’ Rick Perry’s plan includes co-hosting a major Christian worship event — which raises serious questions about his commitment to represent all Texans.
Hartford City Council says no to Muslim prayer
HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford officials now say they won't include Muslim prayers before City Council meetings in September, after getting mostly negative feedback from the public on an earlier plan to invite Islamic invocations.
The reversal has prompted the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Connecticut to plan a prayer vigil tonight at City Hall in protest.
Some city councilors [...]
Meal prayer at Ga. senior center stopped, then restored
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. — Oral prayer before meals has resumed at the Ed Young Senior Citizens Center near Savannah after it was briefly replaced by a moment of silence last week.
Senior Citizens Inc. officials said May 7 that because the meals they were contracted by the city to provide to Ed Young visitors were mostly [...]
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Ken Paulson is president and chief executive officer of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University and in Washington, D.C. Previously, Paulson served as the editor and senior vice president/news of USA Today.
Gene Policinski, senior vice president and executive director of the First Amendment Center and president and chief operating officer of the Diversity Institute, is a veteran journalist whose career has included work in newspapers, radio, television and online.
John Seigenthaler founded the First Amendment Center in 1991 with the mission of creating national discussion, dialogue and debate about First Amendment rights and values.
Dr. Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum. He writes and speaks extensively on religious liberty and religion in American public life.
David L. Hudson Jr. is an expert in First Amendment issues who writes for firstamendmentcenter.org and for other publications. Hudson teaches law and was a scholar at the First Amendment Center.
Tiffany Villager is director/First Amendment studies at the First Amendment Center, which she joined in 1993. She also served as the center’s research manager and research coordinator, and developed the center’s library.
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Perils and politics of inaugural prayers
In today’s deeply divided America, who prays the ceremonial prayers is fast becoming a religio-political weathervane pointing in the direction cultural winds are blowing.