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

[Bob434]

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear an appeal from county officials in North Carolina who argue they should be allowed to give a prayer at the start of public meetings.

The Rowan Country Board of Commissioners had asked the court to reverse the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, which found the board’s prayer ritual violated the Constitution’s ban on government establishing one religion.

[Leaning Right]

> I think group prayer on the sidewalk outside the courthouse followed by the Pledge of Allegiance is unassailable <

Yep. Group prayer outside, and the pledge inside.

[Hugh the Scot]

These cases should be so easy to overturn...

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

So, did Congress make a law in this case? No?

Then the first amendment does not apply as a prohibition.

[Bryanw92]

>>Suppose some Muslim-American elected official wants to launch into an Islamic prayer right before a meeting.

Will he do it in English or in Arabic caterwauling? Do I have to get on my knees and participate?

Here’s the thing about praying. If all the people around you are praying and you think it is silly, you just don’t do it. I was on a submarine in the 80s that had blown a seawater line at test depth. We lost propulsion, we were filling up fast in the stern, had lost all speed, and was sinking. The first emergency blow failed to bring the stern up and made the problem worse. We sunk way below Test Depth and the guy next to me was praying. I was an atheist in those days, so I remember looking at him and thinking, “well, that’s a silly way to die”. I was neither offended nor was I inspired by his praying. He did it and I didn’t.

So, in answer to your question, let the muzzle makes sounds to his alluh. Then he can shut while a Christian prays to God.

[Bob434]

[[Those who dont want to use this time for prayer can use it for “reflection.”]]

exactly- and this is what should be said perhaps before prayer commences- “Those that don’t wish to pray are invited to use this time as a time to reflect, or simply do nothing while we pray”

IF they choose not to participate, then they are the ones choosing not to be included- the ones doing the praying are not the ones ‘excluding’ them- there are all kinds of ways to ‘participate’- one is by simply thinking of nothing at all while he prayer goes on- That way they aren’t ‘excluded’

[Bob434]

[[So, did Congress make a law in this case? No?]]

Precisely- there is no penalty for not participating- if there were- then yep- that would be a case of ‘making a law’

[kenmcg]

Have courage the board should say their prayer, we still have freedom of speech.

[Fightin Whitey]

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

There Is No Escaping The Left.

[Bob434]

They are goign to continue- but they are just goign to allow an ‘outsider’ to initiate the prayer now- the official’s constitutional rights have been violated by disallowing them to initiate prayer

[tbw2]

Given that there are city councils letting Muslims issue prayers at the start of meetings, it is UNFAIR to ban Christian ones.

[AppyPappy]

There is no Constitutional right to not hear something.

[Leaning Right]

Aw, hell. Bob Seger has turned into a Climate Change weenie. I think I’ll go outside and burn my “Old Time Rock n Roll” 45 record.

And that would release CO2 into the air...a bit of poetic justice.

[Safetgiver]

Suppose some Muslim-American elected official wants to launch into an Islamic prayer right before a meeting. Would that be OK?......Of course it would, to the left. And then they would institute Sharia law.

[jonrick46]

4th Circuit Court of Appeals judges for the ban on prayer:

J. Harvie Wilkinson III (Regan appointee)
Roger L. Gregory (Clinton and George W. Bush appointee)
Diana Gribbon Motz (Clinton appointee)
Robert Bruce King (Clinton appointee)
Allyson Kay Duncan (George W. Bush appointee)
James A. Wynn Jr. (Obama appointee)
Henry Franklin Floyd (Obama appointee)
Stephanie Thacker (Obama appointee)
Pamela Harris (Obama appointee)
Barbara Milano Keenan (Obama appointee)

Judges against the ban:

Paul V. Niemeyer (George W. Bush appointee)
Dennis Shedd (George W. Bush appointee)
G. Steven Agee (George W. Bush appointee)
William Byrd Traxler Jr. (Clinton appointee)
Albert Diaz (Obama appointee)

For the transcript of the ruling go here:

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca4/15-1591/15-1591-2017-07-14.html

[treetopsandroofs]

The leftists’ god:

President Obama Hosts a Ramadan Iftar Dinner at the White House
June 23, 2015

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/06/23/president-obama-hosts-ramadan-iftar-dinner-white-house

[MulberryDraw]

What is that vest thing? It has 9 colors. Rainbow has 7 and the gay flag has 6.

[SgtHooper]

Just make it the Pledge of Allegiance!

[Fightin Whitey]

I know. I saw a different full-page story a year or two ago in the WSJ.

Now as I head down the highway and Seger comes up on XM I have to pretend I never heard he was a hypocritical idiot.

[Mears]

These scarves are as bad as as the African Pride scarves that are worn at graduations.

There were 2 high school graduations in my family this past month,and one college——in all three ceremonies many black kids wore those damned scarves over their graduation gowns.

.

[wastedyears]

That’s not how the Constitution works at all.

[Jim W N]

Life is unfair and is the standard for government interference isn’t “fairness”. The standard for government interference is constitutional law (”the rule of law”), in this case the state constitution since the U.S. Constitution forbids federal interference in the free exercise of religion.

The issue is the North Carolina State Constitution which almost certainly forbids state interference in free exercise of religion. Thus federal interference is illegal and state interference is almost certainty illegal and both should be stopped.

And the U.S. Constitution forbids federal interference and almost certainly the NC State Constitution forbids state interference. Private individuals and local government restrictions should be up to the private individuals and the people of the locality.

And also, BTW, since Sharia Law is expressly unconstitutional, the practice of Sharia Law should be absolutely forbidden in the U.S. And since Sharia Law makes Islam a political regime as much as a religion, Muslim practice should be narrowly scrutinized.