Prayer Wars: Athiest Group Targets Memphis City Council Prayer

Reported by: Eli Ross

Email: eross@abc24.com

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Published: 8/27/2012 10:33 pm

Updated: 8/28/2012 8:43 am

MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - First it was Mid-South high school football games, now it's city council meetings. The same group that got DeSoto County School District to stop public prayers before kick-off now has its sights on the Memphis City Council.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation announced it planned to sue Memphis to stop the city council's long-held practice of starting its council meetings with a prayer.

"If you don't believe in the power of prayer how can someone else praying affect you," said council member Janis Fullilove.

The atheist group says the city council is violating the separation of church and state, but the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled such prayers are ok.

"I don't know what their legal theory is, if there is something special or different about Memphis City Council prayer that would make it a different analysis, I'm not aware of it," said Steve Mulroy, a professor in the University of Memphis Law School.

Last year, the Foundation got Desoto County Schools to stop public prayers before football games. It also fought with the West Tennessee town of Whiteville about crosses on a city water tower.

"I pray all the time, in fact I am praying right now for those pour souls who have no idea what they are doing because they are going to have to answer to the most high one day," Fullilove said.

The Foundation says it could file its law suit as early as this week.

Memphis City Council, Religion

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skeptic43 - 9/1/2012 8:00 PM

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As long as they are praying to the flying spaghetti monster or a milk jug. http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/video8.htm

cynic - 8/28/2012 7:02 PM

2 Votes

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Fictional gods have no place in our governments. Worship them on your own time.

ReligionStinks - 8/28/2012 11:08 AM

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Praying, incantations, spells, chants to gods - NONE of it has any place in a government setting. These elected officials have one job to do, and that is to GOVERN this city and to pass oridinances that will improve the city. Memphis is already one of the most religious places in the country - and just look where that has gotten us. It's no coincidence that some of the poorest and most backward places on the country are also the most religious.

FormerFundie - 8/28/2012 10:49 AM

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If FFRF loses this battle, then we MUST INSIST that the city council also pray to lord vader, Dark Lord Saron, Xenu and most importantly The Flying Spaghetti Monster. There are people here in the city that worship at each of these gods feet and have the tax payer right to be represented. Personally i pray to Joe Pesci. Can i get Fullilove to start a council meeting praying to Pesci for me? As a matter of fact, i DEMAND it..as its exactly what the 'Pescian ForeFathers' meant when they wrote the constitution.

novarese - 8/28/2012 10:17 AM

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Nice slanted reporting channel 24. "targets", "its sights"; no, those words aren't loaded at all. And perhaps the esteemed professor at U of M could clarify the case law. Sectarian prayer is most definitely not allowed at legislative meetings. So Memphis is not adhering to the Constitution when allowing people to pray to Jesus at public meetings. (see 2nd Circuit decision in Galloway v. Greece: “a given legislative prayer practice, viewed in its entirety, may not advance a single religious sect.”) (or 4th Circuit Joyner v. Forsyth County, which the Supreme Court declined to overturn) The government has no right to favor any religious sect so until the council drops Jesus from the prayers, they are in violation. And the reason non-believers don't like it when government tries to force religion on its constituents is that it gives the appearance of an offputting (and non-constitutional) preference for religious citizens vs non-religious.

Golden Taint - 8/28/2012 9:41 AM

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I guess she should have been praying for herself instead. Odd how this great Christian woman got trashed and ended up in jail shortly after this interview. If you don't understand how prayers can't affect the people who believe in them, then I suggest you allow Muslim prayer at the meetings and see how that goes over.