ADF Urges Four SC, Fla. Governments To Resist
Activist Demands To Drop Prayer Practices
ADF Offers Free Legal Defense If Recommended
Invocations Policy Is Challenged In Court
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, July 23, 2010 — The
Alliance Defense Fund is urging government bodies in
South Carolina and Florida to continue their constitutionally
protected practice of praying before public meetings,
despite recent threats from atheist organizations. Within
the past week alone, ADF, in cooperation with area
lawyers who are part of the nearly 1,800 attorneys
in the ADF alliance, sent letters to four local governments
offering to defend valid invocation policies free of
charge.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent letters to
the cities of Aiken and Woodruff, S.C., and Spartanburg
County, S.C., demanding that they discontinue the prayers,
which they falsely claim are unconstitutional. The
group Atheists of Florida has gone so far as to file
a lawsuit to stop the practice in the city of Lakewood,
Fla.
“America’s founders opened public meetings
with prayer, and public officials today should be able
to do the same,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel
Brett Harvey. “The First Amendment protects
public officials who choose to invoke divine guidance
and blessings upon their work. Those who oppose
this are essentially arguing that the Founders were
violating the Constitution as they were writing it.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and Atheists of
Florida allege that the prayers violate the rights
of non-religious attendees and others who might feel
offended or excluded by such invocations.
“Feeling offended does not mean the Constitution
has been violated,” Harvey explained. “Through
their campaign of fear, intimidation, and disinformation,
these groups continue their threats against hometown
governments that they consider to be easy prey. Public
officials throughout our country need to be encouraged
and reminded that they can and should resist the increasingly
strident demands of radical secularist groups.”
The ADF letters contend that no legitimate legal basis
exists for the demands of the two atheist groups. The
letters cite legal precedent as well as numerous examples
of public invocations, including one offered “in
Jesus’ name” just days ago in the U.S.
House of Representatives.
Allied attorneys Jay Thompson of Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough,
LLP; Matthew Gerrald of Barnes, Alford, Stork & Johnson,
LLP; and Timothy Savidge of the Bufkin Law Firm, LLC,
all of Columbia, S.C., sent the three South Carolina
letters on behalf of ADF.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys
and like-minded organizations defending the right of
people to freely live out their faith. Launched
in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy,
training, funding, and litigation to protect and
preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage,
and the family.
# # #
- ADF letter to
city of Aiken
- ADF letter to
city of Lakeland
- ADF letter to
city of Woodruff
- ADF letter to
Spartanburg County
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Alliance Defense Fund
15333 North Pima Road Suite 165
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
Phone: 1-800-TELL-ADF
Fax: 480-444-0025
Website: www.alliancedefensefund.org
ADF Offers Free Legal Defense If Recommended Invocations Policy Is Challenged In Court
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, July 23, 2010 — The
Alliance Defense Fund is urging government bodies in
South Carolina and Florida to continue their constitutionally
protected practice of praying before public meetings,
despite recent threats from atheist organizations. Within
the past week alone, ADF, in cooperation with area
lawyers who are part of the nearly 1,800 attorneys
in the ADF alliance, sent letters to four local governments
offering to defend valid invocation policies free of
charge.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent letters to
the cities of Aiken and Woodruff, S.C., and Spartanburg
County, S.C., demanding that they discontinue the prayers,
which they falsely claim are unconstitutional. The
group Atheists of Florida has gone so far as to file
a lawsuit to stop the practice in the city of Lakewood,
Fla.
“America’s founders opened public meetings
with prayer, and public officials today should be able
to do the same,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel
Brett Harvey. “The First Amendment protects
public officials who choose to invoke divine guidance
and blessings upon their work. Those who oppose
this are essentially arguing that the Founders were
violating the Constitution as they were writing it.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and Atheists of
Florida allege that the prayers violate the rights
of non-religious attendees and others who might feel
offended or excluded by such invocations.
“Feeling offended does not mean the Constitution
has been violated,” Harvey explained. “Through
their campaign of fear, intimidation, and disinformation,
these groups continue their threats against hometown
governments that they consider to be easy prey. Public
officials throughout our country need to be encouraged
and reminded that they can and should resist the increasingly
strident demands of radical secularist groups.”
The ADF letters contend that no legitimate legal basis
exists for the demands of the two atheist groups. The
letters cite legal precedent as well as numerous examples
of public invocations, including one offered “in
Jesus’ name” just days ago in the U.S.
House of Representatives.
Allied attorneys Jay Thompson of Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough,
LLP; Matthew Gerrald of Barnes, Alford, Stork & Johnson,
LLP; and Timothy Savidge of the Bufkin Law Firm, LLC,
all of Columbia, S.C., sent the three South Carolina
letters on behalf of ADF.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
# # #
- ADF letter to city of Aiken
- ADF letter to city of Lakeland
- ADF letter to city of Woodruff
- ADF letter to Spartanburg County
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Alliance Defense Fund
15333 North Pima Road Suite 165
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
Phone: 1-800-TELL-ADF
Fax: 480-444-0025
Website: www.alliancedefensefund.org