Downstaters will have to be content with praying on their time.
The justices this morning left intact the decision of the Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit. That court said the involvement of students made the board meetings different from legislative sessions. The three-judge panel likened the meetings to a school graduation ceremony, which the Supreme Court said in 1992 couldn’t be a forum for organized prayer.
The school board’s long-standing practice of opening with a prayer — which was almost always Christian — was challenged in a 2005 federal lawsuit by a Jewish family who alleged the practice was exclusionary and violated the U.S. Constitution.
I just do not understand the need to turn every public gathering, whether it be a graduation cermonies, school board meetings, and other assemblies into religious events. It is as if someone wants to repeal the First Amendment and establish a National Religion, and then have the Government force the population to worship God according to the dictates of the National Religion.
I am convinced now that is the intent of those who want to have a public prayer at every gathering, every board meeting, every council meeting, every ceremony. They will say it is tradition. They will say that preventing forced prayer is infringing on their First Amendment rights to force their religion upon all. Apparently to some the free exercise of their religion requires them to force others to worship.
Indeed, it is a facet of Christianity and Mormonism: missionary work and conversions. However, our Constitution says explicitly that you cannot have the Government do your missionary and conversion work for you.
Do it yourself, Evangelicals.