When read in context, The First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides according to the words of Thomas Jefferson's that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...." and Article VI specifies that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." Jefferson also wrote, "I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,'

I'm pretty sure the quote from Strickland was saying they worry about the issues, NOT the fact that a prayer is said. I think you read it wrong. Not certain he was saying "we pray for the problems to go away".

I dont see anything wrong with prayer at official city functions. I mean what is the big deal? As long as they go through every religion, every god and even show love for scientoligists then I have no problems with that. Maybe there will be time left over after praying to santa clause to discuss important issues.

"In Memphis we've got so many problems,we've got blight and poverty"so says Councilman Jim Strickland.Praying to a god won't magically make your problems disappear.It never has in the past and surely won't happen in the future.Now you might try standing on one foot and whistlin' dixie but I have a feeling that that won't work either. So I would suggest you start taking care of city business the right way and pray not on tax payers dime but on your time,but I think in the end you're just fooling yourself when it comes down to praying to magic man.

Actually no I haven't seen the prayers. Didn't know the were "mini-sermons" I will admit. Thought maybe "let's take a minute and bow our heads" kind of thing! But again I say if it isn't affecting everyone, then why is this important? Obviously the people that are Christians are going to vote on those principles. It shouldn't come as a surprise that they pray to God! Guess I just get worried that people who have certain beliefs(stances on religion, gay marriage, abortion, gun control, etc...) seem to keep getting pushed farther and farther back into a corner. Seems to me like all of the people screaming for "freedom" and "tolerance" the loudest are the ones that can't hear it when someone else needs it....

@stunSeed. By opening OFFICIAL city business its a government sponsored religious activity. What SECULAR purpose does prayer have? Hmm? City business is city business. If you wanna pray, do it NOT on tax payers money or on Government time. Do it at home, in a car, in the audience privatly but not on Tax payers time. Its that simple. I could care less what Skydaddy these city leaders bow to....nor doe ANY Atheists, but using TAX PAYER money and GOVERNEMNT time to endorese a religion is very unconstitutional. Have you seen the opening prayers? These are mini sermons with a VERY specific god in mind. This aint merry old england where that is permissable. What about the other folks in the chambers that are NOT sharing the same religion? What about their rights? "Shadow out common sense" you say? What about a city endorsing ONE SPECIFIC religion by praying to that ONE god..what does your common sense tell you this is? Its done after the gavel and on official city time. By sponsoring it, its a public endorsement of a god and most certinaly 'cramming'. How about simply doing city business on city and taxpayer time? Thats the most OBVIOUS answer and very sensable. Please dont confuse what is right with your definition of 'smug superiority'. If you are as read up as you claim you would join other christian leaders who support FFRF's drive to keep the State out of Church business as well as Church out of State. As for "Seperation of Church and state" in the Constitution, you wont find it. You also wont find God, Jesus, Jupiter, Joseph Smith, Krishna, Vishnu, Holy Spirit or Zoroaster either. The constitution is silent on god and clear about government establisments of religion. This is NOT about city leaders silently praying before the session starts, but a BOLD display of City Endorsed Prayer.

how are they "cramming their dogma" on everyone else? They are saying a prayer between each other....Quit making MOUNTAINS out of nothing....I'm not a bible-thumping nut case. Heck I would even consider myself "middle of the road" so to speak. But don't stand so tall for someone or something's actions that you shadow out common sense. Don't act like they are pushing this or that on people. What is next? Ask council members if they believe in God, and if they do, they need to be ousted because they may vote on an issue according to their beliefs? GEESH!!!

Smug superiority? Sums your attitude up perfectly!!! I don't need to "read up". I already knew. I challenged to show me where in the const. the phrase sep. or church and state was. And if we want to go by what our "founding fathers" did to a tee, they owned slaves....Does that make it correct???

Folks it’s about keeping the state OUT of YOUR religion too. Are you too blind to see that? This protects those that are religious. The second you have a government favoring one religion, and the demographics change, then you won’t be favored any longer. Today Memphis city council prays to Jesus, 10 years from now it could be Allah...are you ok with that? As for 'Christina Nation' palinisms...please research before you type. Look up the Treaty of Tripoli see what ole George Washington and John Adams were up to and see what wording was voted on unanimously by congress. Then when you are pining for 'Forefathers' look up the Jefferson Bible..I dare you! Its time Christians learn the real history of this nation. The forefathers are not these Uber-Christians you want them to be. The reason FFRF sues is to protect the constitution from those that want to change its intent. The ‘God’ in the pledge and dollar were added in the 50’s during the RED COMMUNIST scare (good ole McCarthyism). Before that, two world wars were fought in what was considered “The Greatest Generations”. Also, Why on earth would anyone want their god on a dollar bill? Dark irony that ole JC trashed money changers only to have his dad’s identity on money. FFRF is simply defending the constitution from pockets of ‘The American Taliban’. Iran and Afghanistan are both one nations under god, and that’s working out nicely for them…especially yesterday with 17 beheadings in the name of ‘god’. FFRF is simply keeping ALL religion out of TAX FUNDED Government programs, that’s all. If the religious were not so needy to cram their dogma on everyone else, FFRF would not even exist. You may not like what FFRF is doing but there are other people on this planet other than yourself that believe differently….its what makes this place The United States of America.

@stunSEED, the constitution isn't like the Bible. You can't twist the meaning of the words to suit your purposes and beliefs. The phrase "separation of church and state" was coined from Thomas Jefferson. You could actually read up on this and learn something. That's the thing about facts, they are true and exist even if you don't believe in them. I agree that this is a silly lawsuit. It's absurd that FFRF has to sue to stop something that should never have been happening in the 1st place. Stop acting like you're being persecuted for your beliefs because you aren't allowed special treatment over all other religions. Do whatever you want to do, but keep your religion away from our government. The last thing we need involved in our governing is willful ignorance mixed with smug superiority and the twisted sense of reality required by the church.