ACLU's 'rampage' on 'Jesus' prayers challenged

Charging the American Civil Liberties Union is on a "rampage," a public-interest legal group is offering free assistance to three legislative bodies threatened for opening public meetings with prayers that refer to Jesus.

"Make no mistake, the ACLU's true agenda is the eradication of Christian prayers from our nation's public life, as their misuse of the term 'sectarian' confirms," said Jeremy Tedesco, attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, or ADF.

Arizona-based ADF said it has offered free legal assistance to a city and two county councils in South Carolina after a growing number of legal threats from the ACLU in that state regarding so-called "sectarian" prayer at public meetings.

As WorldNetDaily reported in July, prayers in the name of Jesus stopped at council meetings in Great Falls, S.C., town after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a case brought by a Wiccan.

"The ACLU claims that these prayers violate the Constitution because they are 'sectarian,' but as the Supreme Court has noted, the word 'sectarian' was used as a code word for the Catholic Church by people hostile to it," Tedesco said. "Today, the ACLU employs the same word against Christianity in general."

Tedesco asserted the ACLU is demanding government control over the content of prayers, seeking "to impose its desire for meaningless, God-free prayers through court orders by activist judges."

"They have a different vision for America than most Americans do and our Founders did," he said.

ADF attorneys have helped defend Tangipahoa Parish School Board officials in Louisiana against an ACLU lawsuit for their practice of opening public meetings with what it labeled a "sectarian" invocation.

But in the 1983 case Marsh v. Chambers, the U.S. Supreme Court noted, "In light of the unambiguous and unbroken history of more than 200 years, there can be no doubt that the practice of opening legislative sessions with prayer has become part of the fabric of our society."

The court said, "To invoke Divine guidance on a public body entrusted with making the laws is not, in these circumstances, an 'establishment' of religion or a step toward establishment; it is simply a tolerable acknowledgment of beliefs widely held among the people of this country."

Tedesco said ADF is committed to defending local government bodies as long as the ACLU continues its threats.

"The ACLU – the self-proclaimed defender of tolerance and inclusiveness – notably lacks tolerance for Christianity," said Tedesco.

Related offer:

The ACLU's true agenda for America. Compelling new book removes veil on law group's communist roots.

Previous stories:

Wiccan halts 'Jesus' prayers at town council

ACLU fights school board's prayers

District gives in on prayer, ACLU sues anyway

ACLU: Jail school officials for prayer

ACLU: Punish officials for 'un-American' prayer