"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?" -- Thomas Jefferson

"And yet the same revolutionary belief for which our forbears fought is still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from generosity of the state but from the hand of God." -- John F. Kennedy

"Because of their belief that power had come from God to each individual, the Framers began the Constitution with the words 'we the people'" -- Newt Gingrich

"There's never been a nation like the United States, ever. It begins with the principles of our founding documents, principles that recognize that our rights come from God, not from our government." -- Marco Rubio


Friday, January 14, 2011

Liberty Counsel Supports Iowa Legislative Prayer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2010
www.LC.org

Des Moines, IA - Liberty Counsel has sent a letter of support to the Iowa General Legislative Assembly regarding its longstanding tradition of opening daily legislative sessions with invocations.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has attempted to pressure the legislature to stop this venerated practice. Liberty Counsel stands ready to assist the Iowa General Assembly in developing a written response to the FFRF, and if necessary, offers to defend the practice in court without cost to Iowa citizens.

Prayers offered before public meetings are constitutional. The Supreme Court long ago agreed that opening legislative sessions with prayer is constitutional. The Supreme Court reasoned that since the same Congress which drafted the First Amendment also voted to open each legislative session with prayer, then such prayer is consistent with the First Amendment. The Iowa General Assembly has historically reached out to representatives of many faiths and denominations to offer prayer to open its sessions. The two chambers of the General Assembly passed their annual resolutions affirming prayer on January 10, 2011.

Last year the Iowa Atheist and Freethinkers organization launched a similar unsuccessful effort against the state legislature's invocations. This year FFRF also claims that such practices are unconstitutional even though the Iowa General Assembly acknowledges several religions. The anti-religious organization argues that the regular practice of any prayer alienates all who are nonreligious and consequently violates the constitution. FFRF even demanded a written response outlining the steps to be taken to remedy the claimed violations of the Establishment Clause.

Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented:
"The same Congress that gave us the First Amendment also voted to open each legislative session with prayer. The drafters of the First Amendment knew that it was not designed to eliminate prayer from legislative sessions. But history and common sense mean nothing to radical groups which seek to rid America of her religious heritage. The Iowa legislature's practice of opening its sessions with prayer is consistent with the First Amendment and with the history of America."
FFRF targets Yakima, click here.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)