Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Over Predominantly Christian Prayer At Public Meeting

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a North Carolina county commission over the mostly Christian prayers offered at the beginning of its public meetings.

The justices on Tuesday left in place a federal appeals court ruling that held that the predominantly Christian prayers at the start of Forsyth County commission meetings violated the First Amendment's prohibition on government endorsement of a particular religion.

The commission said its doors have long been open to religious leaders of many faiths. But the appeals court in Richmond, Va., found that more than three-quarters of the 33 invocations given before meetings between May 2007 and December 2008 referred to "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," "Christ" or "Savior."

Earlier on HuffPost:

Comments

[l78lancer]

10:56 PM on 01/18/2012

This is something of a surprise coming out of this court. Wonders never cease.

[kndtloeser]

06:51 PM on 01/18/2012

Thank goodness. Another win for seperation of church and state.

[hornet32j]

06:12 PM on 01/18/2012

Dosen't your Supreme Court have betters things to do ? , no one was forced to attend those meetings , God DOES plays a VERY big role in the U.S. .

[kndtloeser]

06:55 PM on 01/18/2012

No, you are incorrect. God has nothing to do with the way we govern or are governed. You are willing to deny our citizen's rights by telling people not to attend meetings if they don't like it. Not a very Christian attitude. This is exactly the reason that the supreme court takes on these issues. To protect us from the fanatics. Because God is an important part of your life does not make him part of mine.

[hornet32j]

07:19 PM on 01/18/2012

The fact you're alive shows there is a God , or did you come out of a test tube ?

[l78lancer]

11:00 PM on 01/18/2012

If I am muslim or jewish and I have business at those meetings, then it is inappropriate. I have a right to be there, it's not about the local government's maintenance of their local preference.

[grapost]

08:45 AM on 01/18/2012

Elected Officials are not permitted to engage in religious activities while on the clock or on governemtn property.

They have plenty of time AFTER WORK and on THEIR OWN PROPERTY to do this.

There is no need for them to do it at work on the Taxpayers Time and Property.

[nana-anne]

08:44 AM on 01/18/2012

LIKE IT OR NOT THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED AS A SECULAR COUNTRY.

[JonnyLogic]

08:33 AM on 01/18/2012

Keep prayer in your home, like the Bible says.

[Thaag Tidestalker]

07:43 AM on 01/18/2012

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

Matthew 6:5

[l78lancer]

11:01 PM on 01/18/2012

Amen. Now if religion could be removed from campaigning...

[Thaag Tidestalker]

07:21 AM on 01/19/2012

At that point, they would also ride on unicorns and explode with glitter and everyone would get a kitten or a puppy (or a pretty gold fish if allergic) and all the blueberry danish pastries they could hold.

[liberal slavery]

03:21 AM on 01/18/2012

I am an atheist libertarian who thinks theocratic republicans are a mighty fine example of Big Government

[RETIREDLEO7]

05:33 PM on 01/18/2012

I am a Christian libertarian who thinks democrats and republicans are mighty fine examples of Big Government.

[Seven Teenatheart]

01:02 AM on 01/18/2012

“Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when you listen to God.”
Diana Robinson

“Most people do not pray; they only beg.”
George Bernard Shaw

I'm not particularly religious, but having been raised around many religions, these two quotes come to mind.

[pkafin]

04:25 AM on 01/18/2012

Two excellent quotes; made better still by the fact that they apply across the board.

Thanks for those.

[Wizer]

12:49 AM on 01/18/2012

What's wrong with praying in your pickup truck while driving over to the event ... Unless your purpose is to be seen praying. Didn't Jesus have something to say about praying in private?

[LeftNutt]

02:50 AM on 01/18/2012

He sure did. People love being labeled as Christians....but they really don't follow the bible. I have a friend that tells me he will pray for my soul(bc I'm an atheist)...all the while he is living with his girlfriend and has a baby put of wedlock. How funny.

[Kevin Rayburn]

05:32 AM on 01/18/2012

a true christian relizes it is not his/her place to judge, however as someone who identifies as a christian i try not to judge others beliefs but will not tolerate being persecuted for my own beliefs.

[floridem]

12:36 AM on 01/18/2012

"Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Over Predominantly Christian Prayer At Public Meeting".

Thank you God!

[Mark Redd]

11:28 PM on 01/17/2012

I would think that the purpose for having a meeting of this nature is to come together in of spirit of truth and openess, seeting aside self-interests in favor of finding solutions for the good of the community. I don't think it's necessary to invoke the name of a God or religious figure. Just git er' done!

[Bill Bushing]

08:21 AM on 01/18/2012

Precisely... I don't see how a religious prayer of any kind has a place in a non-denominational public meeting devoted to governance of all. Prayer should be a personal thing.

[samsausagehead]

11:19 PM on 01/17/2012

For those that want to pray, say a silent prayer and get on with the agenda.

[magnolialover]

11:15 PM on 01/17/2012

Why pray before a dang meeting? Can't you just have the meeting? It is not a religious gathering after all.

[Tracy Fortune]

11:30 PM on 01/17/2012

...exactly! How about this- no prayers at public meetings, full-stop. End of this stupid & divisive debate because NO ONE will be favoured?

[magnolialover]

07:06 AM on 01/18/2012

I would be definitely down with that. I mean if you want to pray before a meeting go ahead. Nobody is going to stop you. It is just that the prayer doesn't need to be out loud.

[kiran1207]

11:09 PM on 01/17/2012

jesus is fictional and we are fighting over a fictional person. god may be real but Jesus is not.

[Fnordpocalypse]

12:57 AM on 01/18/2012

Maybe Jesus was real, and his message was hijacked by people seeking to control others.

[Proud Bay Man]

01:58 AM on 01/18/2012

I think that was an oxymoron.