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Police prayer ban challenged
Groups wants to lift prayer ban for state chaplainsDate published: 1/8/2009
RICHMOND --The Family Foundation is pushing to change a restriction on denominational prayer that was prompted by a federal court ruling in a Fredericksburg case.Last year, a federal appeals court unanimously ruled that Fredericksburg City Council could not use sectarian prayers to open its meetings. That was, in effect, a ban on using the name "Jesus Christ" in public prayers at such government functions. As a result, State Police Col. Steven Flaherty had directed police chaplains--who are troopers who volunteer chaplain services--to avoid denominational prayers at public events, such as trooper graduations. Six chaplains resigned in protest, igniting a controversy that had a group of ministers criticizing Gov. Tim Kaine and Flaherty for the directive, saying it violated the chaplains' right to pray according to their own conscience. Now, a state delegate, supported by the Family Foundation, is planning legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session that would prevent the head of the state police from putting any restrictions on prayer. Del. Bill Carrico, R-Grayson, has drafted a bill that says while the state police can have a volunteer chaplain program, they "may not regulate expression of their religious beliefs." He plans to file the bill next week. Carrico said chaplains who pray using the name of Jesus do so because of their faith. "To ask them to pray any other way is an egregious violation of their constitutional rights," Carrico said. "This isn't politics. This is people's lives; this is what they believe." Carrico and the Family Foundation believe the court ruling--which arose after Fredericksburg City Councilman Hashmael Turner prayed to Jesus Christ to open council meetings--does not apply to the state police. "It is an unnecessary reach by the state police to apply that case," said Family Foundation president Victoria Cobb. Even if it did apply, Cobb said, they think Kaine's administration could have found other solutions, rather than directing chaplains to use nondenominational prayers. "They took the most extreme position possible," she said. Kaine, however, believes the court ruling has broader applicability and Carrico's bill could leave the state open to legal problems. "Col. Flaherty took the step that he did based on legal advice," Kaine said yesterday. "In the face of a court ruling, to say 'we're going to do this anyway' you're just basically walking into a legal challenge." Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Date published: 1/8/2009
See- you can't even trust Chaplains.
(posted by
anonymus
, Jan. 14, 2009 10:18 pm)
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/012009/01142009/0
114jumper
Some of us have acknowledged
(posted by
Mandrake
, Jan. 12, 2009 5:07 pm)
that their answer to "Do you think it is possible that
the human brain is not yet capable of
understanding absolute reality?" is yes. That
means unequivocally that all we believe or don't
believe is a choice we make based on what we do
know as a result of our senses and perception of
reality.
I agree you have the right to pray
(posted by
Kristen
, Jan. 12, 2009 4:00 pm)
anywhere you want, but perhaps not outloud anywhere you want. There are some restrictions on free speach. There is a difference between speach and prayer, one doesn't have to be audible. But again, I wouldn't object to an invocation at a council meeting, as long as all views are allowed, and that would get quite messy and lenthy, so perhaps the worship would be best conducted on personal time. Either way is actually fine with me. There are bigger battles out there.
Actually, it really doesn't bother me at all,
(posted by
Kristen
, Jan. 12, 2009 3:53 pm)
I would not have brought up the objection, I have learned to just sit and let folks talk to whatever supernatural entity they would like to. I learned this especially in Utah, where there is virtually no separation between church and state. I do agree that prayer should be done off the govt. clock. Other references to god, 10 commancments etc. don't bother me either. And my office chair, it's old and needs repair, so I THINK you may be right about it breaking!
OK, Life, I'll buy you that shot of Jack!
(posted by
pinkphantom
, Jan. 12, 2009 2:34 pm)
Yes, it is good to question and search on your own. It shows intelligence...I am so thankful that greater minds than mine have discovered so many wonderful things that I can learn about. Kristen may correct me, but I think I know what she means by "not believing in anything" as I am kind of there myself. I cannot believe in something I know must take the supernatural to occur. A dead guy coming back to life after 3 days vs. something that is still unknowable (traveling faster than light.)
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