Republican County Bans Atheists from Delivering Official Prayer

[Luddly Neddite]

Watch Republican County Bans Atheists from Delivering Official Prayer Occupy Democrats

A Florida County Commission stomped all over the First Amendment rights of atheists and non-believers on Tuesday when it voted unanimously to send a letter that essentially limits invocations to faith-based groups, and rejects an offer from a humanist group to deliver invocations.

The Central Florida Free Thought Community sent a letter to Brevard County Commission Chair Mary Bolin last month requesting the opportunity to offer invocations at their meetings.

Bolin, chair of a commission for a solidly Republican county, responded by having a letter drafted that rejects the groups invocation offer and states:

“The Invocation portion of the agenda is an opening prayer presented by members of our faith community. The prayer is delivered during the ceremonial portion of the County’s meeting and typically invokes guidance for the County Commission from the highest spiritual authority, a higher authority which a substantial body of Brevard constituents believe to exist. The invocation is also meant to lend gravity to the occasion, to reflect values long part of the County’s heritage and to acknowledge the place religion holds in the lives of many private citizens in Brevard County.”

The letter was approved in a 5-0 vote by the commission.

Several residents voiced their objection to the letter, with one condemning it as “offensive, discriminatory, and illegal.”

This action is an egregious violation of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom from religion that our founding fathers enshrined in the Constitution.

First Amendment?

We don't need no steenkin First Amendment.

 

[Daniyel]

Its kind of ridiculous both ways.

 

[LiberalMedia]

How bigoted. Atheists aren't allowed to lead Christ-stains in prayer just because they don't believe in a magical sky wizard and might use the opportunity to publicly mock the majority faith in the area--which is a completely unwarranted assumption that only a paranoid, highly discriminatory pyrsyn would make.

Brevard County is the single most famous county in Florida for doing crazy shit like this. We need to outlaw Brevard County, and replace it with something better--like President Obama County, or Bloomberg County. Or Trayvon County. Anything but Brevard, which itself is an acronym: Burgeoning Racists Exercising Various Authorities Regarding Discrimination.

 

[UllysesS.Archer]

How bigoted. Atheists aren't allowed to lead Christ-stains in prayer just because they don't believe in a magical sky wizard and might use the opportunity to publicly mock the majority faith in the area--which is a completely unwarranted assumption that only a paranoid, highly discriminatory pyrsyn would make.

Brevard County is the single most famous county in Florida for doing crazy shit like this. We need to outlaw Brevard County, and replace it with something better--like President Obama County, or Bloomberg County. Or Trayvon County. Anything but Brevard, which itself is an acronym: Burgeoning Racists Exercising Various Authorities Regarding Discrimination.

OMG! They let you out! Everyone run! Save the children! Save yourselves!

 

[Darkwind]

Does anyone else have a hard time equating a group of primates that do not believe in God giving a prayer? How do you lose a right to free exercise when you don't believe in the exercise at all?

 

[bodecea]

Well, it sounds totally illegal what the County officials voted on...but it is up to the people of that county to file a suit to have it challenged on constitutional grounds....or not.

 

[UllysesS.Archer]

Does anyone else have a hard time equating a group of primates that do not believe in God giving a prayer? How do you lose a right to free exercise when you don't believe in the exercise at all?

You could equate it to a 500 pound bedridden man trying to tell Lou Ferrigno how to work out.

 

[Disir]

Florida has the third largest homeless population in the nation. The governor had done everything within his power to kill the public education system and replace it with a failing charter school system. There are inadequate services in every county......

No bigger fish to fry then?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Watch Republican County Bans Atheists from Delivering Official Prayer Occupy Democrats



First Amendment?

We don't need no steenkin First Amendment.

Mmm, there is no Constitutional guaranteed freedom FROM religion. Nor is there a Constitutional guaranteed separation of church and state. They're merely inferences. Can mix government AND religion but only if you afford equal expression of the religious stuff. Consequently, if they'd allowed humanists to do an invocation it'd be okay. But since they don't it isn't.

 

[PratchettFan]

Watch Republican County Bans Atheists from Delivering Official Prayer Occupy Democrats



First Amendment?

We don't need no steenkin First Amendment.

Mmm, there is no Constitutional guaranteed freedom FROM religion. Nor is there a Constitutional guaranteed separation of church and state. They're merely inferences. Can mix government AND religion but only if you afford equal expression of the religious stuff. Consequently, if they'd allowed humanists to do an invocation it'd be okay. But since they don't it isn't.

Agreed. It will be an interesting case if it gets to the courts.