Was it Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Renk or someone else that asked the question “to pray or not to pray”? Whoever it was the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 last month to not pray. Fox News reported that the county board stopped praying before their legislative meetings last month and decided that instead of the prayers they would call for a moment of silence. They did so because an atheists group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), sent a letter to them back in September demanding that they stop saying a prayer before their meetings.
In that letter they wrote:
We write to the request [sic] that the Board end its prayer practice, either by replacing it with a moment of silence, or by removing it completely, in order to respect the views of all Leelanau County residents
Apparently, that letter scared some if not all five of the Commissioners to vote against praying before their meetings. FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a news release:
And can I say ‘Amen’ to that?...We commend the hard work of our local activists who fought for inclusivity and the wisdom of the Leelanau County Board for listening.
Not only does this group threaten people with lawsuits they then mock them when the people buckle and give them what they want. Did Annie’s head turn while she said the word “amen” or did smoke just come out of her ears?
Interesting to note when you do a search for their organization you find the following: “Ffrf.org - FFRF - Defending the Constitution”. Ask any of them or anyone who supports these groups where in the U.S. Constitution does it exactly say there needs to be a separation of church and state? Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it state that there should be a separation between the church and the state. When I was interviewing the head of one of the national atheists’ organizations, I asked him that question and he could not answer it.
I will be interviewing Chris Line Staff Attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation on my show today at 10:06 am.
A professor from Stanford Law school was asked that question and he stated:
The words ‘separation of church and state’ are not in the Constitution… I think this is a shorthand version of what the establishment clause means,” he added, noting the passage in the Constitution that reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
One thing the 5 Leelanau County Commissioners that voted to end saying a prayer prior to their meeting has going for them is the words “bend over” or “cowards” are also not in the U.S. Constitution.
I will be interviewing Chris Line Staff Attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation on my show today at 10:06 am. If you cannot listen to it live please listen to my podcast of that interview.