ACLU gets prayer banned from a county’s meetings – here’s what the Supreme Court just said

The Hill ^ | 06/28/18 11:02 AM EDT | Lydia Wheeler

[qaz123]

Does the ACLU ever go after muslims?

[Bob434]

[[There. How hard was that?]]

The point is that if we lose this battle- we lose our right to freedom of religion in certain places- This was never the intention of the founders- They valued opening meetings with prayers- and felt they had a perfect right to do so- now people come along today and claim they don’t have that right-

Yes- we could pray outside- but that is giving the enemy a victory they don’t deserve

[Bob434]

Yes- to join them

[Bob434]

[[The SCOTUS can not refuse anyone from the Right To Pray.
North Carolina is being deprived of civil rights]]

Exactly - Even Government officials have a right to pray- whenever and where-ever- what they don’t have a right to do is force others to join them or face a penalty- which of course

[[North Carolina is being deprived of civil rights]]

Which is why i find it stunning that the supreme court refused to hear the case

[RoseofTexas]

So ...that also applies for areas that force the Muslim call to prayer through loud speakers..right ??

[Leaning Right]

> But a normal American prayer is. <

I want to agree with you. But what is a “normal American prayer”? Perhaps it would be a prayer that is general in nature, one that references the Almighty without being too specific.

I’m not comfortable proposing that. But what other option is there?

[shotgun]

I worked for a city that had prayer at the start of each meeting. They always rotated the prayer between the various pastors/preachers regardless of their professed faiths. When I bowed my head I said my prayers to the 1 true God and His son, Jesus Christ. Most them were praying to some other deity.

I just went to a wedding that was non-denominational and they said the prayer to God (father or mother), or “fill in the blank” god (both genders). It was sad...

[Bob434]

[[So ...that also applies for areas that force the Muslim call to prayer through loud speakers..right ??]]

Nope- the government is prohibited from forcing anyone, by penalty of law, to pray or recognize a religion

[petitfour]

Keep praying, folks.

The Constitution is pretty clear. Congress shall make no law . . .

[Bob434]

[[When I bowed my head I said my prayers to the 1 true God and His son, Jesus Christ. Most them were praying to some other deity.]]

Exactly, and you were not ‘excluded’ because another religion prayed- You included yourself in the session your way- so you were not discriminated against.

People that choose not to pray are not discriminated against either- they are not forced to pray- and they could stand where and ‘join in’, by simply praising themselves or whatever they wish- thinking happy thoughts, or not thinking anything- they are welcome to join in any manner they wish- They are not being excluded-

[Leaning Right]

> that also applies for areas that force the Muslim call to prayer through loud speakers..right ?? <

Unfortunately not. The Constitution protects folks against government abuse, not against abuse by other people.

So you’d have use local noise ordinance laws here. And you can bet that the local politicians would do nothing. Can’t offend the Muslims, right?

So my suggestion: When the Muslim call to prayer comes on, just play Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock n Roll” at the same volume.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoaAb5MnKtY

[sheana]

That would be my take away on it. If we cannot force others to hear prayers because they might feel excluded then how can they force us to hear that crap?
Someone needs to force the issue.

[Rusty0604]

I agree. If the prayer is to God, that would encompass all religions, so the only people that would claim to be offended would be atheists. They would have no defense, because of the difference in “of” and “from”.

[AppyPappy]

“Suppose some Muslim-American elected official wants to launch into an Islamic prayer right before a meeting. Would that be OK?”

Fine with me. It will shut the piehole of the Virtue Signalers.

[liberalism is suicide]

“Extreme Court” is a more fitting name.

[Bob434]

Am i reading your post right by concluding that you are saying that people standing up for constitutional right is ‘virtue signaling’?

[elcid1970]

“Muslim American”...!!?

Better put as “Muslim in America” whose loyalty is to the world Ummah & Sharia law, not to the `Great Satan’.

I think group prayer on the sidewalk outside the courthouse followed by the Pledge of Allegiance is unassailable unless Antifa thugs show up, then it’s a matter of personal combat and all bets are off.

[Jumper]

Oh gee their were only Democrats and no Buddhists, Shinto, wiccan or green moon god followers....

[Leaning Right]

Well, it would be interesting if that public-meeting Islamic prayer included a denunciation of homosexuality. Perhaps the Islamist could use one of Louis Farrakhan’s speeches as a guideline.

That would leave the PC folks so conflicted that their heads would probably explode.

[D.A.Veteran]

Well, 3% of our nation’s population are atheists. In N.Carolina, I would guess that atheists there are in the less than 1%. Those who dont want to use this time for prayer can use it for “reflection.” That is how this was treated when I went to public schools when we still advocated both Pledge of Allegiance and morning prayer in home room.