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FFRF National Day of Prayer Case Proceeds
May 29, 2009
"Although the Freedom From Religion Foundation membership doesn't believe in prayer, especially government prayer, its federal lawsuit against the National Day of Prayer now "has a prayer."
U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of the western district of Wisconsin, in an opinion and order issued on Tuesday, denied motions to dismiss the Freedom From Religion Foundation's far-reaching legal challenge of National Day of Prayer proclamations. Denied were motions to dismiss filed by defendants Pres. Barack Obama, press secretary Robert Gibbs and Shirley Dobson, of the National Day of Prayer Taskforce.
"We are absolutely delighted that the courthouse door has not been slammed on the Foundation, and that we will be permitted to plead our significant case," said Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-presidents.
Also seeking dismissal of the Foundation challenge was Pat Robertson's legal arm, the American Center for Law & Justice, which filed an amicus brief on behalf of 31 members of Congress.*
The federal government claimed that the "National Day of Prayer has a secular purpose." The U.S. Attorney General's office "trotted out everything but the kitchen sink in attempting to rationalize this union between government and religion," Gaylor said.
"Most insulting was the government's patently false claim that 'the tradition of a National Day of Prayer dates to the founding of our country,' " added Barker.
Congress enacted a law in 1952, at the behest of Rev. Billy Graham, requiring the president to issue an annual prayer proclamation. Congress claimed in the legislative record that the founders prayed during the Constitutional Convention that adopted the secular Constitution.
"This is absolutely untrue, and the White House brief perpetuates this myth, and makes many other claims based on bad history," said Gaylor. "We're going to set the record straight."
FFRF Legal Complaint & initial press release
www.ffrf.org/news/2009/N...proceeds.php
* Join the Separation of church & state tribe - separationofchurchstate.tribe.net
;
May 29, 2009
"Although the Freedom From Religion Foundation membership doesn't believe in prayer, especially government prayer, its federal lawsuit against the National Day of Prayer now "has a prayer."
U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of the western district of Wisconsin, in an opinion and order issued on Tuesday, denied motions to dismiss the Freedom From Religion Foundation's far-reaching legal challenge of National Day of Prayer proclamations. Denied were motions to dismiss filed by defendants Pres. Barack Obama, press secretary Robert Gibbs and Shirley Dobson, of the National Day of Prayer Taskforce.
"We are absolutely delighted that the courthouse door has not been slammed on the Foundation, and that we will be permitted to plead our significant case," said Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-presidents.
Also seeking dismissal of the Foundation challenge was Pat Robertson's legal arm, the American Center for Law & Justice, which filed an amicus brief on behalf of 31 members of Congress.*
The federal government claimed that the "National Day of Prayer has a secular purpose." The U.S. Attorney General's office "trotted out everything but the kitchen sink in attempting to rationalize this union between government and religion," Gaylor said.
"Most insulting was the government's patently false claim that 'the tradition of a National Day of Prayer dates to the founding of our country,' " added Barker.
Congress enacted a law in 1952, at the behest of Rev. Billy Graham, requiring the president to issue an annual prayer proclamation. Congress claimed in the legislative record that the founders prayed during the Constitutional Convention that adopted the secular Constitution.
"This is absolutely untrue, and the White House brief perpetuates this myth, and makes many other claims based on bad history," said Gaylor. "We're going to set the record straight."
FFRF Legal Complaint & initial press release
www.ffrf.org/news/2009/N...proceeds.php
* Join the Separation of church & state tribe - separationofchurchstate.tribe.net
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