Judge hears arguments in atheist's lawsuit to bar prayer at inauguration

AP ^ | 1/13/5 | SAM HANANEL

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON -- A federal judge heard arguments Thursday in the case of an atheist who wants to prevent a Christian minister from reciting a prayer at President Bush's inauguration.

Michael Newdow -- best known for trying to remove "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance -- told U.S. District Judge John Bates that allowing an overtly Christian prayer at the Jan. 20 ceremony violates the Constitution by forcing him to accept unwanted religious beliefs.

Attorneys representing Bush and his inaugural committee argued that prayers have been widely accepted at inaugurals for more than 200 years and that Bush's decision to have a minister recite the invocation is a personal choice the court has no power to prevent.

Bates said he would issue a ruling Friday.

During the two-hour hearing, Bates questioned both sides vigorously but expressed doubt that a court could order the president not to include a prayer when he takes the oath of office.

[SmithL]

This is going nowhere.

[Jay777]

You can join the fight against the ACLU and their ilk by becoming involved with and supporting the following organizations:

Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) - http://www.alliancedefensefund.org

Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) - http://www.thomasmore.org

American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) - http://www.aclj.org

The Rutherford Institute - http://www.rutherford.org/

Stop the ACLU Coalition - http://www.stoptheaclu.org

Here are a few examples of how two of those organizations are fighting back:

ADF Contacts Over 3,600 School Districts Over Attempts To Censor Christmas

ADF: 700 lawyers ready to fight ACLU lawsuits

ADF: Pentagons' Warning About Boyscouts Is Absurd

Thomas More Law Center: Town of Palm Beach Pays $50,000 In Attorney Fees Apologizes To Women In Nativity Lawsuit

Additional information:

The ACLU must be destroyed: Joseph Farah supports Boy Scouts, urges Americans to fight back

Citizens mobilized to stop ACLU (seeks to consign group to 'ash heap of history')

ACLU fulfilling communist agenda

Revealing FACTS on the ACLU from its own writings

See how YOUR Senator or Representative ranks with the ACLU

This group just started on December 3, 2004 and are looking for new members to their yahoo group

Let me know if you would like to join my ACLU Ping List!

You can join the fight against the ACLU and their ilk by becoming involved with and supporting the following organizations:

Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) - http://www.alliancedefensefund.org

Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) - http://www.thomasmore.org

American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) - http://www.aclj.org

The Rutherford Institute - http://www.rutherford.org/

Stop the ACLU Coalition - http://www.stoptheaclu.org

Here are a few examples of how two of those organizations are fighting back:

ADF Contacts Over 3,600 School Districts Over Attempts To Censor Christmas

ADF: 700 lawyers ready to fight ACLU lawsuits

ADF: Pentagons' Warning About Boyscouts Is Absurd

Thomas More Law Center: Town of Palm Beach Pays $50,000 In Attorney Fees Apologizes To Women In Nativity Lawsuit

Additional information:

The ACLU must be destroyed: Joseph Farah supports Boy Scouts, urges Americans to fight back

Citizens mobilized to stop ACLU (seeks to consign group to 'ash heap of history')

ACLU fulfilling communist agenda

Revealing FACTS on the ACLU from its own writings

See how YOUR Senator or Representative ranks with the ACLU

This group just started on December 3, 2004 and are looking for new members to their yahoo group

[Jay777]

Ping! My list is at work

[stopem]

And shouldn't even been heard by the Justices.

[EternalVigilance]

I don't believe in athiests.

Therefore they must not exist...

[Jay777]

Help Protect the Inaugural Prayer!


Add your name to the group of 19,441 people who have already signed using the Internet!

http://www.aclj.org

[snopercod]

This is going nowhere.

Well, you have to wonder "what if...?"

Could we have a constitutional crisis brewing?

[gidget7]

please add me to your ping list :) thanks

[Jay777]

No problem. I'll add you when I get to work in the morning. Just sent myself a reminder to do so. Thanks.

[Aetius]

I wish that some nutcase federal judge would issue a ruling barring prayer at the Inauguration, and that President Bush would simply ignore the ruling after properly ridiculing it in public.

It would be great in that it would highlight the abuse and usurpation of power by the courts that has become common. The public would no doubt support Bush, and their respect for the Judiciary would decline. The Courts have no way of enforcing their decisions w/o Executive or Legislative consent, so there would be no downside.

Then, this would prepare the public for an even greater defiance of Judicial abuse when President Bush disobeys a SCOTUS imposition of gay marriage/civil unions sometime in the next few years. Again, the public would no doubt back the President.

Sadly, I think this is just a fantasy. Not that a judge would issue a ruling barring prayer at the inauguration, but that a President or Congress, even "conservative" ones, would stand up to the Courts.

[SmithL]

Descartes went into a bar and ordered a beer. After he finished it, the bartender asked if he wanted another. He answered, "I think not" and poof, he was gone.

[Jay777]

I'll be biting my nails and praying tommorow until I hear the ruling.

[crazyhorse691]

Michael Newdow -- best known for trying to remove "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance -- told U.S. District Judge John Bates that allowing an overtly Christian prayer at the Jan. 20 ceremony violates the Constitution by forcing him to accept unwanted religious beliefs.

---

Forcing? What type of girlie man would complain that free speech ain't fair because he has to listen to it? The same type of man that would use his daughter as cover over two words he doesn't like.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Christian prayer at the Jan. 20 ceremony violates the Constitution by forcing him to accept unwanted religious beliefs.

Oh yeah, prayer is some Jedi mind trick.

[Jay777]

A piece of string went into a bar and asked for a drink. The bartender said we don't serve string here. He went outside and tied himself into a knot and came back in to try again. The bartender said, "Are'nt you that same string that came in earlier." The string said, "Nope, I'm A Fraid Knot".

[JOE43270]

I'm sorry for my attitude although I'm proud of it. Mr. Newdow can shove off. My Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers, and Coasties are fighting to keep America safe. He is an American and he has his Rights. When My younger Brothers and Sisters leave home and are fighting and dieing for us he can go to #$%%.

[Indy Pendance]

So, why did you give him 15 more minutes of fame?

[steplock]

This "judge" needs to be impeached and disbarred for even giving this idiot the international headline notoriety he doesn't deserve.

This is a leftist trick to agree to "hear" the complaint because it is the person's "right" to be heard < BARF! >

Would this same judge hear me if I challenged him to a common sense debate about HIS preferred form of government --- I forgot, we already have HIS preferred form --- RULE BY FIAT. We no longer have a Republican form - it was lost back in the late 60's with LBJ, Nixon (yes, Nixon), Carter, Clinton.

[digger48]

He can in no way be more offended than I am at having to hear about this crap.

[microgood]

During the two-hour hearing, Bates questioned both sides vigorously but expressed doubt that a court could order the president not to include a prayer when he takes the oath of office.

Or possibly he had doubts the President would comply with the ruling. Not sure because I know nothing about the judge.