Atheist Group Files Federal Suit Against City for Opening Meetings in Prayer
The Atheists of Florida filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the City of Lakeland for opening commission meetings in prayer.
The lawsuit alleges that the commission's purpose in its policy is "to encourage, endorse and add Defendants' governmental imprimatur to religion in general and a specific religion."
According to the suit, the city's policy violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
The group has also voiced general complaints (outside the lawsuit) about the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance at the meetings with the words "under God" included. However, several federal courts around the country have found the phrase constitutional.
The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which includes Florida, has ruled on invocations at government meetings, stipulating that governments must make a "reasonable effort to include all religious faiths."
Lakeland Mayor Gow Fields was not caught off-guard by the suit.
"It's not a surprise," he said. "It's what they said they were going to do. It was just a question of when and what city."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read the entire lawsuit, Atheists of Florida v. City of Lakeland.
(NOTE: Referral to websites not produced by CitizenLink is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
—Staff reports
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A0000130...
The lawsuit alleges that the commission's purpose in its policy is "to encourage, endorse and add Defendants' governmental imprimatur to religion in general and a specific religion."
According to the suit, the city's policy violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
The group has also voiced general complaints (outside the lawsuit) about the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance at the meetings with the words "under God" included. However, several federal courts around the country have found the phrase constitutional.
The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which includes Florida, has ruled on invocations at government meetings, stipulating that governments must make a "reasonable effort to include all religious faiths."
Lakeland Mayor Gow Fields was not caught off-guard by the suit.
"It's not a surprise," he said. "It's what they said they were going to do. It was just a question of when and what city."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read the entire lawsuit, Atheists of Florida v. City of Lakeland.
(NOTE: Referral to websites not produced by CitizenLink is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
—Staff reports
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A0000130...
Sister Irma,
I understand your stance on religious equality but I don't see how opening a meeting with a prayer of good will is depriving anyone of their equality. It appears to me that the Atheists who don't believe in God at all want to impose their beliefs on the rest of the people who believe in the existence of God. It sounds like the Atheist are being selfish.