2.27.07
ADF Attorneys Fight for...and Win...Equal Access for National Day of Prayer Event...
As many of you know, the first Thursday of May is designated as the
National Day of Prayer (NDP), a time for all Americans to come together
to give thanks to the Lord for the tremendous blessings He has bestowed
upon our nation, and to get on our knees to pray for His wisdom and
guidance for our nation's leaders. Shirley Dobson, wife of ADF co-founder Dr. James Dobson, is the chairwoman of this event, which my wife and I look forward to participating in each year. Besides the national event in Washington DC, prayer events are held in communities, large and small, across the nation.
On May 4, 2005, Dave Barkey, the coordinator of the local event in Idaho Springs, Colorado – just west of Denver – planned for his community to observe NDP in a park area outside city hall. But as anyone who has ever lived in Colorado knows, you always need to have a contingency plan in place in case the weather does not cooperate. So, Dave reserved the city council meeting room just in case of inclement weather.
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Joel Oster |
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And
the rains came...and the group needed to avail itself of its backup
plan. However, when they tried to use the council chambers, they
were told by a city administrator that city policy barred use of the
space for "religious purposes." After this turn of events, Dave
contacted ADF, and our senior legal counsel Joel Oster of our Kansas
City regional service center filed a lawsuit to secure the NDP group's
constitutional right to equal access.
After the suit was filed, city officials closed the chambers for
general use. But the good news
is that the city has constructed a new room for groups to use and
adopted a policy prohibiting discrimination against religious groups
and religious uses. Dave has now reserved that room for
the 2007 NDP event on Thursday, May 1st.
Joel Oster says: "Throughout
history, America's Presidents have recognized the importance of the
National Day of Prayer...We are pleased Idaho Springs' officials will now
allow its citizens to use public facilities to carry on the tradition
of honoring our country's religious heritage and praying for its
future."
Read the ADF press release to learn more...
Meanwhile...in New Jersey..."Road
Devils" OK, but Christians
Aren't...
Across the country in Newark, New Jersey, ADF allied attorney Demetrios
Stratis has filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of a Christian
ministry that was denied the right to use a Village of South Orange
public square that all other groups have access to.
The ministry, "Care and Share" wanted to hold a wholesome event that
included ministry members performing skits, live music, and puppet
shows for local children. But they were denied by village
officials who told them that only private/or public non-religious
groups would be allowed to use the public space. They were told
by the city administrator's office: "Please be assured that the Village
will not be approving any events sponsored by religious organizations."
But after the ministry was denied access for this harmless event, the
village granted the request of the "Road Devils NJ" to use the same
area. The Road Devils event included public consumption of
alcohol, live bands using vulgar language with electronic sound
equipment, and female mannequins dressed in underwear!
Evidently, in South Orange, New Jersey, wholesome puppet shows are out,
but all of this other behavior is in. You can read a copy of the
complaint filed in this case at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/CareandShareComplaint.pdf.
These cases are just another example why ADF must continue to increase
our capacity to show up and defend what should be basic constitutional
rights for people of faith. Thank you for making it possible for
ADF and its allies to "be there" time and time again to fight for the
constitutional rights of people of faith.
Read the ADF press release here...
Nation's
Top Law Enforcement Officer Agrees There's a Crisis: Attorney General
Gonzales Announces "First Freedom Project" to Protect Religious Freedom...
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Attorney General Alberto Gonzales |
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The Attorney General said: "When we talk about religious freedom, we often refer to it as the First Freedom. It is a fundamental part of our Nation's history, and one of our core principles. In the First Amendment to the Constitution, at the top of the Bill of Rights, the Founders declared that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' Before free speech, before freedom of the press, before all of these other crucial rights, we put freedom of religion."
"Throughout our history, nothing has defined us as a Nation more than our respect for religious freedom. It is not confined to the members of one church or the followers of one set of beliefs. Through this initiative, the Justice Department continues its vigorous efforts to enforce protections against religious discrimination...: Nothing defines us more as a Nation – and differentiates us more from the extremists who are our enemies – than our respect for religious freedom. Our great country was founded on these principles, and many of us today believe it continues to thrive because of, not despite, them."
We're so grateful for support from the Department of Justice in several ADF and ADF ally cases over the past several years, most notably The Bronx Household of Faith, the Joel Curry "candy cane" case in Michigan, and the Balch Springs, Texas senior center case.
The Attorney General said: "When a city-run senior center in Balch Springs, Texas, told Barney Clark and other members that they could no longer pray before meals, sing Gospel songs, or hold Bible studies, we opened an investigation. Even though each of those activities was voluntary and initiated by the seniors, and no employee of the center was involved, the city mistakenly believed that the separation of church and state required it to ban the activities. In our view, the center's prohibition on religious speech, while permitting members to engage in other kinds of speech, was a clear violation of the Constitution. And after we began our investigation, the Balch Springs City Council unanimously agreed."
For more information on the DOJ First Freedom Project, go to www.firstfreedom.gov.
We commend Attorney General Gonzales and the Bush Administration for this new initiative, and we look forward to partnering with a growing circle of allies to defend, protect, and affirm the religious freedom envisioned by our Founders for all Americans.
Read the ADF press release here...
Prayer Requests | Visit the ADF prayer page
"Without Christ, we can do nothing." - John 15:5
- Please pray for wisdom and for victory in the many legal
battles ahead
- Please pray for the ongoing marriage cases in California,
Connecticut, Iowa, and Maryland.
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