Professor Lund wrote: "Perhaps candidates in local elections would start to run on prayer-related questions." (It's already happening!)
Professor Volokh wrote: "A few people care fairly deeply; most don't. What's more, the battles happen in relatively few places." Actually, so many people care about this, it inspires standing-room church revivals in city council meetings, (as the article below proves). Actually, these conflicts are happening everywhere, (including the Military-victory for Jesus prayers, Indiana-victory, Ohio-victory, Pennsylvania-victory, North Carolina-pending, New York-pending, Florida-victory, Virginia-loss, Oklahoma-victory, and now Oregon-victory.) Actually, we're already running successful RECALL CAMPAIGNS TO REMOVE COUNCIL-MEMBERS who oppose prayer in Jesus' name (like Councilman Dielman in the article below, who was recalled "at least in part because of his position on prayer.") Note Baker City just voted 5-0 to remove the term "non-sectarian" from their prayer policy this week, after a the controversy caused a spontaneous church revival in their 22 July meeting. Another victory for prayer "in Jesus' name." Article below.... In Jesus name, Chaplain K. ------------------- http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D923Q0E81.html E. Oregon council retains prayers before meetings 07/23/2008 Associated Press An attempt to remove the prayer that opens many Baker City Council meetings didn't have a prayer. Councilors were deluged Tuesday night by speakers opposed to the move and were against sending the matter to the voters. In the end, councilors voted unanimously to remove a reference about whether prayers should be sectarian from the nonbinding council invocation guidelines. Roger Scovil, pastor of the Baker City Christian Church, said that prayer is important in every aspect of human activity including government. He noted that the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate both open their sessions with prayers. A Muslim will pray in the name of Allah, a Buddhist according to the teachings of Buddha, Scovil said. Don Williams told the council that sectarian prayers show a broad tolerance of what this country is about. "You have been very tolerant of all prayers, and now you're being asked to be intolerant," he said. If council prayers are dropped, churches might stop entering floats in parades and offering Easter sunrise services in public parks, he said. Former council member Gary Dielman, who raised the issue when he criticized a prayer that opened the July 8 meeting and ended with "In Jesus' name, amen," was not present Tuesday. Council member Terry Schumacher said he hoped Dielman would take the hint "and quit coming back and doing this." Voters recalled Dielman in 2001, at least in part because of his position on prayer. Dielman first questioned religious references during official city activities when he was sworn in 1999. When reciting the oath of office, he did not say "so help me God." Councilwoman Beverly Calder said dissent is an American right that may represent other unspoken voices. Councilman Andrew Bryan was among the few who supported asking voters to decide the prayer issue and reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance at City Council meetings. "If we want an invocation and the pledge, we want to set it on the hardest rock we have," Bryan said. "If people really want the invocation and pledge, the best way to ensure that is to put it in the charter." "You can put it in the charter or paint it on a wall," countered Councilman Dennis Dorrah. "That still won't change Mr. Dielman or someone else coming in here and raising heck about it." At least the issue drew a crowd to the Tuesday night meeting, Calder noted.
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