Lawsuit in Greece over Sectarian Prayer in Town Board Meetings

The question of separation of church and state has come to the Rochester area. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of two Greece residents by the Americans United For Separation of Church and State against the Town of Greece and its Supervisor, John Auberger, because of the practice of having sectarian prayer as part of the town board meetings. Before the lawsuit was filed, the two Greece residents met with town officials, spoke out at town board meetings and had the Americans United write a letter urging the town to stop praying before town board meetings or choose non sectarian prayers. The Town, however, refused to alter their prayer practice.

The lawsuit was filed February 28, 2008 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York and can be read on the Americans United for Separation of Church and State website, (http://www.au.org). Now the town argues that it is a question of free speech and that if they dictated what could be said in the prayers they would be limiting free speech. While the lawsuit argues it is a violation of the of the first amendment, in particular the establishment clause.

Although the town officials say that they are not promoting a specific religious belief, there has been only one prayer that has not been explicitly Christian since 2004. The Town of Greece has also chosen to be defended by the Alliance Defense Fund, whose beliefs include the spread of Christianity and who actively fight against equal rights for homosexuals including serving in the military, rights to adopt and serve as foster parents and equal marriage. The Alliance Defense fund has also filed two lawsuits in NYS to block the recognition of out-of-state same-sex “marriages” by state public officials. How does the town have the gall to say they are inclusive and not promoting specific religious beliefs when they are involved with a group like the Alliance Defense Fund.

The following is taken directly from their website, www.alliancedefensefund.org. The Alliance Defense Fund’s response to the lawsuit can also be found on their website.

What We Believe

The Alliance Defense Fund is a servant organization that provides the resources that
will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense and advocacy of religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and traditional family values.

Statement of Faith

We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God.

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity and humanity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His present rule as Head of the Church and in His personal return in power and glory.

We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

We believe that all those who die in God’s grace through faith are assured eternal salvation; those who die in a state of sin and unbelief suffer the punishment of Hell.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, with equality across racial, gender, and class differences.