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Town won't put 'Jesus' in prayers (wiccan filed lawsuit and won..ARGH!)
Heraldonline ^ | June 30, 2005 | Andrew Dys

Posted on 07/02/2005 2:28:50 AM PDT by FeeinTennessee

Town won't put 'Jesus' in prayers Wiccan's suit to keep words out of Great Falls council's pre-meeting prayer upheld

By Andrew Dys The Herald

The town of Great Falls lost its four-year legal battle to keep the name "Jesus Christ" in its council meeting prayers Tuesday. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the Chester County town's appeal of a lower court decision that it improperly favored one faith with its prayers.

The decision ends an often contentious case that pitted the Town Council against a resident who is a Wiccan high priestess.

"This sends a message that this behavior is unacceptable," said Darla Wynne, whose 2001 lawsuit started the legal battle. Wynne practices Wicca, a nature-based religion based on ancient Western European and pre-Christian beliefs.

She said her victory made her feel a sense of accomplishment for the "little guy." Wynne was opposed by some religious leaders and the state's attorney general during her legal fight.

The town's lawyer, Michael Hemlepp, said he will advise Great Falls officials to "obey the law."

The council has not mentioned Jesus in prayers after a 2003 ruling in Wynne's favor, said Town Councilman J.C. Broom, who usually leads the prayers before meetings.

"The people down here wanted us to continue the fight," Broom said. "Even the president's inauguration prayer mentioned Jesus. I'm terribly disappointed."

Emotional advocates on both sides of the issue seized on Wynne's lawsuit to fuel ongoing national debate over the separation of church and state.

The American Civil Liberties Union, American Jewish Congress and Americans for the Separation of Church and State all sided with Wynne, while the S.C. Attorney General's office and others sided with Great Falls.

Many in the town of about 2,200 signed petitions and attended meetings urging the council to go all the way to the Supreme Court.

"We have done what the majority of people wanted us to do," said Great Falls Mayor H.C. "Speedy" Starnes. "I think the town was solid behind us."

Ruling applies to large area

The legal ramifications go beyond Great Falls: The decision of the lower court, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, applies to both Carolinas and Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.

"The court in this case was fairly clear this woman's freedom was being trampled by a legislative body," said Andrew Siegel, a University of South Carolina law professor and expert on Constitutional law. "They actively punished her and denied her full access to government because she dared stand up to them."

Towns or boards who now invoke the name Jesus Christ in prayers would violate a court order and "would do so at their own peril," said Herbert Buhl III, Wynne's lawyer.

The Rev. Mike Sollers, pastor at Evangel Temple Assembly of God church in Great Falls, called the decision by the Supreme Court not to hear the case "a sad day in America."

Sollers said many in the small town filled with mainly Christians opposed Wynne's lawsuit. Wynne sued "for the purpose of stirring things up," Sollers said. "The idea that she did this for the town is absurd and ridiculous."

S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster wrote to the Supreme Court earlier this year that Jesus has been mentioned in public prayers in South Carolinian since the state's infancy. In a statement Tuesday, McMaster said he was disappointed by the decision and hoped future "members of the federal judiciary will see things differently."

Buhl said the Attorney General's office decision to jump into the Great Falls legal fray was "for political reasons -- to look like they were friends of Jesus."

Great Falls also must pay Wynne more than $40,000 in legal fees, Buhl said.

"We'll have to find out some way to pay them," Starnes said.

Wynne has said that since the controversy began she has been the target of harassment, vandalism and violence. She vowed to stay in Great Falls and to continue to attend council meetings. The next meeting is July 18.

"I know they are trying to run me out of town, but I'm not going anywhere," Wynne said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: aclu; ajc; auscc
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To: IAMFREE; Darksheare

HUH?????


21 posted on 07/20/2005 9:46:10 AM PDT by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: tiamat

Check post #20!


22 posted on 07/20/2005 9:47:49 AM PDT by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: IAMFREE

Pretty retarded post. Welcome to FreeRepublic.


23 posted on 07/20/2005 9:48:45 AM PDT by Junior_G
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To: IAMFREE

May your incuns turn south, may your herbs go sour, and may your Book of Shadows tear its pages.

May your athame cut your fingers to shreds.


24 posted on 07/20/2005 9:49:57 AM PDT by Darksheare (Hey troll, Sith happens.)
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To: Mrs.Nooseman

I saw him, he was quite the idiot.


25 posted on 07/20/2005 9:50:16 AM PDT by Darksheare (Hey troll, Sith happens.)
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To: Darksheare; IAMFREE; tiamat

Hi Darks!

IAMFREE smells funy to me!

What do you think?


26 posted on 07/20/2005 9:51:33 AM PDT by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: Darksheare

WAS is the operative word.LOL.


27 posted on 07/20/2005 9:52:23 AM PDT by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: Mrs.Nooseman

Yeah, he was a troll, and an odd one at that.


28 posted on 07/20/2005 9:55:26 AM PDT by Darksheare (Hey troll, Sith happens.)
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To: Darksheare

Yep!


29 posted on 07/20/2005 9:57:22 AM PDT by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: Mrs.Nooseman

LOL!


30 posted on 07/20/2005 10:00:06 AM PDT by Darksheare (Hey troll, Sith happens.)
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To: Darksheare

:)


31 posted on 07/20/2005 10:01:07 AM PDT by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: Mrs.Nooseman
Oh I checked him out.

Boy does HE not have a clue! LOL!

I am NOT a Christian, although I consider many of them to be allies.

And yeah. Prayer works.

And I stand by what I said. If that Priestess is so threatened by someone saying the name "Jesus" around her, then her Faith SUCKS, and SHE is the intolerant one.
32 posted on 07/20/2005 10:11:35 AM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home!")
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To: Darksheare

BTW, Darks.

Thanks for sharing the trick about swapping out the number of a deleted post.

Didn't know how to do that before you told us how the other day.

Thank you!


33 posted on 07/20/2005 10:13:36 AM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home!")
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To: tiamat

Welcome!

I will have to apologise for what I said to him, that was rather.. rude of me.


34 posted on 07/20/2005 10:14:32 AM PDT by Darksheare (Hey troll, Sith happens.)
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To: Darksheare

I wouldn't apologise to that twit.

He's whiny, insecure, intollerant and he didn't REALLY read what I said.

Heck, if he knew more about me and MY past, he'd wanna get cozy with me and borrow some books.

And I wouldn't LET him. Dealt with that type before.


35 posted on 07/20/2005 10:17:36 AM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home!")
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To: tiamat

Well, yeah.
You have a point.
*sigh*


36 posted on 07/20/2005 10:19:06 AM PDT by Darksheare (Hey troll, Sith happens.)
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To: Darksheare

Did you hear about Scotty?

:-(


37 posted on 07/20/2005 10:22:25 AM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home!")
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To: tiamat

I agree 100%!


38 posted on 07/20/2005 10:22:54 AM PDT by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: tiamat

Yes.
Saw three threads about it.
:(


39 posted on 07/20/2005 10:23:21 AM PDT by Darksheare (Hey troll, Sith happens.)
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To: Mrs.Nooseman

Thanks, Mrs. N!


40 posted on 07/20/2005 10:23:29 AM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home!")
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