Yakima City Council vs the Freedom From Religion Foundation

[marmar]

from the Yakima Herald:



YAKIMA -- For years, the Yakima City Council has prayed in public. Now, someone's complaining.

Lawyers for the city are reviewing the City Council's practice of opening meetings with an invocation after a local resident's complaint was supported with a challenge from a national group that opposes prayer in government.

In a letter dated Nov. 5, a lawyer for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., accused the council of violating the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.

The lawyer, Rebecca Markert, contends that courts allow invocations as a historical custom in government or legislative settings as long as such prayers refrain from endorsing specific religions or denominations. She provided transcripts of every council invocation this year through October, all of which contained repeated references to "Heavenly Father" and Jesus Christ. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/12/18/city-council-fights-for-the-right-to-pray

[qb]

1. One more tiny step towards acceptance for the most vilified minority group.