April 30, 2010 9:59 AM
VA Gov McDonnell restores prayer banned by Kaine
A small victory for religious freedom - and confirmation that here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, our voting in a conservative governor really does make a difference:I'm still scratching my head at the inanity of banning prayer by chaplains. What are they there for?
Victoria Cobb, President
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Victory Alert: Chaplain Prayer Policy Reversed!
Just moments ago Governor Bob McDonnell's office announced that the administration has reversed the Kaine administration's discriminatory prayer policy that prohibited state police chaplains from praying at public events according to their faith.
The Family Foundation has been advocating for this policy reversal since the day it was announced by Governor Kaine's office in 2008.
Kaine's administration based its policy on a flawed understanding of a Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision regarding prayer policy in Fredericksburg. That decision determined that a discriminatory prayer policy that silences people of faith is Constitutional, but the decision also clearly stated, "We need not decide whether the Establishment Clause compelled the Council to adopt their legislative prayer policy because the Establishment Clause does not absolutely dictate the form of legislative prayer."
In other words, the policy is not required. Anti-religious organizations like the ACLU continue to deceive people by arguing that so called "non-sectarian" prayer is required by the Constitution at "government meetings." That is simply not true.
We are obviously thrilled that Governor McDonnell has fulfilled his campaign promise to restore the religious liberty rights of state police chaplains. His action reverses the discriminatory policy of the previous administration and ensures that chaplains can remain true to their faith at public events. The gag must now come off!
There was no legitimate reason for the policy change in the first place. This was an act of discrimination by the Kaine administration, plain and simple. No court anywhere requires the Kaine policy. Governor McDonnell is completely within his authority and has the Constitution on his side.
The censorship of state police chaplains is yet another example of the growing anti-Christian sentiment among many in the political class in Virginia. And it is evidence that more must be done to protect our right of conscience. The Family Foundation is working with several national experts on ways to further protect your religious liberty rights. We look forward to rolling out our plans in the coming months!
In the meantime, we thank Governor McDonnell for this decision! You can thank the Governor yourself by clicking here.
** Please forward this e-mail to friends and family who you think are interested in issues affecting traditional values and encourage them to sign up for alerts at the Family Foundation blog.
Love,
Posted in Christian Persecution, Good news, Virginia | Permalink
