School Board Resumes Prayer Before Meetings

Religious Freedom, , ,

In March we wrote about how the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened to sue the Harrison School Board over the board’s practice of opening meetings with prayer.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote that, “It is coercive, embarrassing, and intimidating for non-religious citizens to be required to make a public showing of their nonbelief (by not rising or praying) or else to display deference toward a religious sentiment in which they do not believe, but which their board members clearly do.”

According to the Baxter Bulletin, the Harrison School Board decided unanimously to continue opening meetings with prayer after the board researched the legality of the practice.

As we have said before, the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts have ruled time and time again that it is constitutional for these sorts of meetings to begin with prayer.

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Atheists Threaten to Sue Harrison School Board Over Opening Prayer

Religious Freedom, , ,

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation has threatened to sue the Harrison School Board over the board’s practice of opening its meetings with prayer.

According to The Harrison Daily, the board received a letter from the group after a school patron contacted FFRF.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote that, “It is coercive, embarrassing, and intimidating for non-religious citizens to be required to make a public showing of their nonbelief (by not rising or praying) or else to display deference toward a religious sentiment in which they do not believe, but which their board members clearly do.”

Frankly, I find it a little ironic the Freedom From Religion Foundation would consider something as innocuous as opening a meeting with prayer to be “coercive” and “intimidating,” when the group clearly is trying to intimidate the school board by sending it this letter.

The Harrison School Board is a governing body holding public meetings, and the U.S. Supreme Court as well as lower federal courts have ruled repeatedly that it is constitutional for these sorts of meetings to begin with prayer.

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El Dorado Stands Firm Against Atheist Group

Religious Freedom, , , ,

Recently we wrote how the City of El Dorado wasn’t yielding to atheist groups who oppose the city’s 40 Days of Prayer campaigns.

This week Americans United for Separation of Church and State took to the Internet, complaining El Dorado “went ahead with a planned ’40 Days of Prayer’ event in October despite a warning from Americans United.”

Hats off to everyone in El Dorado for exercising their religious liberties and refusing to yield to these groups from out of state! Public prayer is a longstanding tradition in this country, as are calls to prayer from public officials.

Meanwhile, a Nativity scene in Michigan has been relocated from a public park to a church’s property following complaints from the atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation. FFRF has worked since 2007 to get the Nativity scene removed from public property in Menominee, MI–even though the Nativity scene is a longstanding tradition in that town.

As we have written numerous times, public officials and local governments can celebrate Christmas, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled those celebrations can include Nativity displays and similar decorations. Nativity scenes do not have to be placed on private property to be constitutional. They can appear on public property without violating the First Amendment.

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