Posted on 12/29/2005 7:24:33 PM PST by Balding_Eagle
Indiana House of Representatives can't have clergy mention savior
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: December 29, 2005 2:50 p.m. Eastern
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
An Indian federal judge yesterday reaffirmed his decision to forbid prayers to be offered that use Jesus' name in the state House of Representatives.
U.S. District Judge David Hamilton rejected a request by Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma to review the original Nov. 30 ruling. Bosma claimed the directive was too vague to enforce. Ruling on a suit brought by the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, Hamilton said that "using Christ's name or title" or referring to a "savior" amounted to a state endorsement of religion.
Opponents of the judge's action plan to appeal to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
The Indianapolis star reported Hamilton issued a warning yesterday:
"If the speaker or those offering prayers seek to evade the injunction through indirect but well understood expressions of specifically Christian beliefs, the audience, the public and the court will be able to see what is happening. In that unlikely event, the court will be able to take appropriate measures to enforce" the injunction.
The judge ruled that having a predominance of Christian prayers in the state House illegally advanced one religion over all others. Prayers are normally offered by visiting members of the clergy; when one is not present, a lawmaker says the opening prayer.
"[O]fficial prayers that endorse Christianity in general violate the Establishment Clause," Hamilton stated yesterday.
"The forces that want to take religious faith out of our government and our society are nibbling away at our liberty,'' Bosma said after the original ruling. "They got a big bite with this one. We have done nothing different here than what's happened for 188 years.''
The Indianapolis Star's editorial board opined Dec. 2: "Hamilton was terribly intolerant of those Christians who believe that their faith instructs them to pray in the name of Jesus Christ.''
According to a Bloomberg report, during 2005, Christian clergy led 41 of the 53 prayers that opened House sessions, and 29 of the 45 prayers with transcripts referred to Jesus, Savior or Son, court documents show.
Bosma says he is prepared to fight the prayer battle all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if needed.
How does the judge plan to "enforce" the injunction?
Personally make a citizens arrest on the Speaker of the House?
Why is it they always forget the second phrase?
These ACLU lawsuits and anti-christian judicial rulings just ensure more election victories for Republicans. Keep em coming.
As an hoosier, I can say these idiots have a lot bigger things to worry about. The taxpayers of my fair state were just committed to pay over a hundred million dollars for a new stadium, our taxes were raised, and people are silent...
But "Jesus" can be used when angry at any time.
Sounds like this idiot has overstepped his authority. He needs to be thrown in prison with his pal, Bubba. Wonder what kind of an "Indian" he is. One of the peyote guys or a Hindu guy.
those damn Indians :#
The ACLU is the anti-Christ. They've plainly demonstrated that.
Based on this, I would say that anyone (who considers themselves a Christian) who is offering prayers, should make a point of praying to "Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, without whom there can be no Salvation ..." and this should be included in 100% of all publickly offered prayers. Let the jails fill up.
A federal judge couldn't do this to the U.S. House. When was it decided that the "three" branches are considered co-equal at the federal level but the states are considered subservient.
Oh, nevermind. It was Apr. 9 1865. A year that a new brand of slavery was started.
December 2, 2005
snip
Wednesday, Judge David Hamilton stepped into controversy -- and not for the first time.
The son of a prominent local minister, Hamilton made a ruling that angered many Christians, holding that prayers said at the start of Indiana House sessions must not mention Jesus Christ or advance any religion.
snip
Henry Karlson, professor of law at the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, said he agrees with the stated aim of Hamilton's opinion: to bar the advancement of any one religion. But he is troubled by what he called Hamilton's order requiring the House speaker to instruct clerics on what they can and cannot say, such as no reference to Jesus.
Karlson considers that prior restraint. While Hamilton also barred any other sectarian or denominational appeal, only Jesus was mentioned by name as forbidden. "There is only one deity who is specifically singled out," he said.
snip
Hamilton rejected part of a state law that would have required women to get information in person about risks of abortions and other choices at least 18 hours before the procedure. He found that the requirement would impose an undue burden on the ability of many women to exercise their constitutional right to choose to end a pregnancy.
snip
Hamilton's order on Wednesday that the Indiana House avoid references to Jesus raises serious questions, said Frederick Mark Gedicks, professor of law at Brigham Young University Law School and a religion scholar. "I think it's deeply problematic for the government to tell people what a real prayer is, and what it isn't."
snip
http://tinyurl.com/agy7y
Graduated from Haverford College in 1979 and Yale Law School in 1983.
• Fulbright Scholar at the University of Tuebingen in Germany.
• Law clerk to Judge Richard D. Cudahy on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
• Associate at the Indianapolis law firm of Barnes & Thornburg, 1984-89.
• Counsel to then-Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh, 1989-91.
• Named U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Indiana, 1994.
Civil disobedience!
Seems like they recognize the uniqueness of Jesus;.
Hamilton's decision applies only to the Indiana House. It does not affect the state Senate, city or county councils, or any other governmental body, many of which also begin their meetings with prayers.
But Falk said it will serve as a "strong precedent" for challenges to Christian prayers in the Senate or local meetings. He said other public officials should take note and ensure that their prayers are nondenominational.
He said that, under the decision, such prayers still could invoke the name of God.
Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton, R-Columbus, said staff attorneys are reviewing the decision to determine its ramifications for his chamber.
"It's a very sad, somber day for Hoosiers that a federal judge is becoming involved in censoring prayer," he said. "And I don't think you can read that decision any other way."
Garton said society is becoming "so tolerant we are intolerant."
http://tinyurl.com/b989u
What are they outsourcing federal judges these days??
Our Founding Fathers and those who came to these shores built American on the precept that "Freedom of Religion", not the Liberal Democrat perversion of "Freedom from Religion". And yet, these same fine folks who would deny you your right to pray, support the Freedom of Abortion, Freedom of convicted Murders, and do not support war - they only sanction death when they make it personal.
77%. Probably not far off from the percentage of Christians in the Indiana population.
What percentage does the ICLU represent?
later read.
Let's just renounce anything and everything that can be linked, either directly or indirectly via a "six degrees", and turn the nation over to anyone and anything non-Christian.
Enough with this pussyfooting around already!
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