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California City Agrees to End Prayers at Public Meetings
christiannews.net ^ | April 20, 2014 | Heather Clark

Posted on 04/20/2014 5:58:40 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012

PISMO BEACH, Calif. – Officials in a California city have agreed to end their practice of presenting prayers at public meetings in order to settle a lawsuit with a local atheist organization.

City officials in Pismo Beach state that they decided to settle the matter because they did not want to spend taxpayer money to fight the legal battle. The announced their decision on Wednesday.

As previously reported, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a complaint against the city in November, asserting that the prayers offered regularly by Pismo Beach chaplain Paul Jones promote Christianity to residents. The organization stated that Jones’ prayers often morph into sermonettes in a manner that appears to “advance and proselytize for Christianity.”

“The Scriptures teach us, saying, ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,’” Jones is quoted as declaring in one prayer. “Too long, we have neglected Your word and ignored Your laws. We have tried to solve our problems without reference to You. Your word is so clear, and is so simple. For Your Word says: ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.’ And so we confess to You our sins, and ask that we as a nation and as individuals may experience a moral and a spiritual restoration.”

(Excerpt) Read more at christiannews.net ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: atheist; christian; prayer
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1 posted on 04/20/2014 5:58:40 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ilovesarah2012

Atheist terrorist strike again.


2 posted on 04/20/2014 6:03:51 AM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: vetvetdoug

How can they be stopped?


3 posted on 04/20/2014 6:05:45 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ilovesarah2012

Benjamin Franklin

Constitutional Convention Address on Prayer

delivered Thursday, June 28, 1787, Philadelphia, PA

Mr. President:

The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other — our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own wont of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. — Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance.

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that “except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move — that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.


4 posted on 04/20/2014 6:05:50 AM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: EternalVigilance

Ben were OLD SKOOL

“all them creepy ass crackers wrote in CURSIVE”

God Bless America !


5 posted on 04/20/2014 6:08:17 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey ( "Never, never, never give up". Winston Churchill)
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To: ilovesarah2012

I would like to see people attending future meetings to bring a bible with them or wear a cross....I see the town’s point...but this is another way to say an atheist will not put down my religion.


6 posted on 04/20/2014 6:10:02 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: EternalVigilance

Our country sure has changed.


7 posted on 04/20/2014 6:10:04 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ilovesarah2012

Good idea. Continue to bend over backwards to the loudest and most obnoxious 3%. Seems that no one puts any thought into the slippery slope big picture.


8 posted on 04/20/2014 6:12:59 AM PDT by albie
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To: ilovesarah2012

Indeed. I feel like I’m living in Sodom & Gomorrah.


9 posted on 04/20/2014 6:21:29 AM PDT by FES0844
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To: ilovesarah2012

It is time the Christians in this country stop falling down and playing dead every time these blood suckers want something done there is no one fighting back.

I read 80% of the people in this country say they believe in a higher power.and 20% claim to be atheist..now why are the 80% letting these evil scum get away with taking prayer out of everything..


10 posted on 04/20/2014 6:23:01 AM PDT by PLD
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To: ilovesarah2012
It has changed because of a few people who are imposing their will on us. This should have been stopped by the courts with a "don't go until after the prayer", "don't look at it then" and any other commonsense solution.

How you stop them is to defy them. The town can't start the prayer but the townspeople can pray.

11 posted on 04/20/2014 6:23:09 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: ilovesarah2012

E quake coming


12 posted on 04/20/2014 6:25:07 AM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: FES0844

We are.


13 posted on 04/20/2014 6:25:41 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ilovesarah2012

May it sink into the ocean


14 posted on 04/20/2014 6:25:52 AM PDT by yldstrk ( My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: albie

It seems that our country runs exclusively to fulfill every whim of the smallest, noisiest minorities. I guess the ultimate person to be catered to would be an illegal alien who is an atheist but wants to have a gay wedding ceremony in a church. All of our institutions would bow down before such a person. He would be treated almost as if he were a god.


15 posted on 04/20/2014 6:28:27 AM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: ilovesarah2012

BY ALEX MURASHKO, CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
August 17, 2013|8:55 am

Religious Freedom Lawyers Respond to Atheists Wanting Prayer at City Council Meetings Stopped

The ADF legal letter states, “Fortunately, Chico can not only look to the historical example of the U.S. Congress and clear Supreme Court precedent, but this past Spring the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has expressly reaffirmed the right of Cities to open their public meetings with a prayer…” The letter additionally points out that the 9th Circuit “went further to clarify the Cities need not censor the content of the prayers or prevent people from offering prayers that are distinctive to their own faith traditions.”

Senior Counsel Brett Harvey added, “A few people should not be able to extinguish the traditions of our nation merely because they heard something they didn’t like. Because the authors of the Constitution invoked God’s blessing on public proceedings, this tradition shouldn’t suddenly be considered unconstitutional. It’s perfectly constitutional to allow community members to ask for God’s blessing according to their conscience.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/religious-freedom-lawyers-respond-to-atheists-wanting-prayer-at-city-council-meetings-stopped-102475/


16 posted on 04/20/2014 6:30:04 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: yldstrk
May it sink into the ocean

Can the guy who started this site, and all the many California conservatives, get out first before it sinks into the ocean? Thanks.

17 posted on 04/20/2014 7:18:54 AM PDT by Nea Wood (When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.-Sowell)
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To: ilovesarah2012

Normal in Freak-A-Fornia.


18 posted on 04/20/2014 7:35:45 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: Nea Wood

yeah they should


19 posted on 04/20/2014 7:36:07 AM PDT by yldstrk ( My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: ilovesarah2012

Listen to her speech on the page below.

‘Willing to Go to Jail’: Politician Delivers Passionate Speech About God Before Defying Judge’s Order and Uttering a Christian Prayer

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/03/28/willing-to-go-to-jail-politician-delivers-passionate-speech-about-god-before-defying-judges-order-and-uttering-a-christian-prayer/


20 posted on 04/20/2014 7:56:11 AM PDT by Whenifhow
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