FReepmail me to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the SCOTUS ping list
Posted on 11/02/2013 3:46:58 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
"....A federal appeals court said last year that such a “steady drumbeat” of Christian invocations violates the Constitution’s prohibition against government endorsement of religion.......
........After the lawsuit was threatened, the town made more of an effort — that’s how the Baha’i representative and the Wiccan got involved — but all agree that the overwhelming number of prayers offered over the approximately 10 years covered by the suit were offered by Christians, and most contained direct references to Christianity.
When the case reached the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, a unanimous panel of the court said it was not enough to view the town’s actions through the lens of Marsh. Judge Guido Calabresi said the Supreme Court had ruled in a subsequent case involving a creche display that governments must be careful about practices “that have the effect of affiliating the government with any one specific faith or belief.”
Despite what may have been good intentions, Calabresi wrote, that’s what the town of Greece had done. By not reaching out to a more diverse group of prayer-givers or making clear that the prayers did not represent the town’s beliefs, the judges found, “the town’s prayer practice must be viewed as an endorsement of a particular religious viewpoint.”
The town and the Obama administration argue that putting the government in a position of monitoring the content of prayers would create more constitutional problems."..............
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Security adviser to Obama says U.S. is an ‘Islamic country’
Washington Times ^ | November 1, 2013 | By Douglas Ernst
“A member of the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council is under fire for tweeting that America is “an Islamic country.”
After a Twitter user asked Mohamed Elibiary on Thursday to “show me just ONE example of an Islamic country where non Muslims are treated with equality,” he responded with the controversial tweet, which was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon: “America and yes I do consider the United States of America an Islamic country with an Islamically compliant constitution. Move On!”
The back-and-forth between Mr. Elibiary and the Twitter user, who identified himself as Tim Lee, started when Mr. Elibiary said the conservative perception of Islam needed to “evolve.”
According to the Free Beacon, Mr. Elibiary has served on the department’s “Countering Violent Extremist Working Group,” as well as its “Faith-based Security and Communications Advisory Committee.” He is also a strong supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood.”.....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3086677/posts?page=10
Socialists won’t stop until government is recognized as THE deity we will worship.
Mr. Elibiary said the conservative perception of Islam needed to “evolve.”
If you like your church, you will be able to keep your church. Period.
If you would like to cling to your belief, you will be able to cling to your belief. Period.
No one will take it away. No matter what.
bttt
I agree with Justice Joseph Story Metaphysical refinements and test of logical skill are out of place. Let the First Amendment decide the flippin case -not Sandra Day O’Connors endorsement test. Let the presedental evidence of the Judiciary Committee Reports of Jan.19,1853 by Mr.Badger of the US Senate Judiciary Committee on the meaning of the Establishment Clause— and use of Chaplains —and corresponding US House Judiciary Committee Report of 27 March ,1854 by Mr.Meacham on the same subject— as compared to the seminal Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States by Justice Joseph Story on the subject of the First Amendment and the general if not universal sentiment in America when the Constitution and (Bill of Rights) was adopted.Even in Bible College we were taught that Prayer is first and foremost a dialogue with God —as such it ought reflect the beliefs and the religious training of those who have called for an invocation of prayer. i.e. if the majority of the City Board are Christian it would be accepted and acceptable that the steady drumbeat of invocations reflect that board. (Not any audience—nor outside interest) The Continental Congress —Indeed the first Congress under our US Constitution seem to have had opened their affairs with predominantly Christian Prayer so the the errant misguided Courts can hang in their ear if they insist the City of Greece NY in any way shape or form has violated the US Constitution —or the First Amendment by their simple invocations.May all the curses of the Book visit those covenant Breakers who would claim otherwise.
Are there Constitutional scholars who really think the First Amendment exists to drive religion from the public square? If anything goes, then everything goes.
This is tyranny by minority and an abuse of the First Amendment.
I direct you to review David Horowitz, Liberal Fascism pages ...215-220 or so, for what I am sure will be a jaw dropping realization.
Equine feces. There is a huge distinction between endorsement and an "establishment of religion" and the court knows it. Further, when the Constitution was written there was no law precluding an establishment of religion on the part of the several States. The principle is simple: To be able to live in a community that constructs its local laws according to one's religion is essential to the expression of individual liberty. Else, the individual must skulk about avoiding contrary influences. One is then free to chose the community in which one prefers to express their religious freedoms. Accordingly, the enforced secular uniformity we have today is contrary to the expression of religious liberty and constitutes an establishment of no-religion.
"Few phrases in the Constitution have divided Supreme Court justices quite like the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which says simply: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
they forgot or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
FReepmail me to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the SCOTUS ping list
BTTT for later.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.