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City Council Substitutes Pledge of Allegiance For Prayer

By Howard M. Friedman

The Freedom from Religion Foundation continues to write to city councils around the country objecting to their opening their sessions with sectarian prayers, and the cities continue to respond in various ways. In Tehachapi, California on Tuesday, City Council opened its meeting with recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance instead of the usual prayer. KERO News reports that the change was implemented after a letter from FFRF charged that "prayers currently given during the Council meeting impermissibly advance Christianity." Council member Ed Grimes said, "First and foremost, we need to protect the city from litigation..." Conservative candidate for state assembly, Ken Mettler, however charged FFRF with relying on intimidation: "they like to bully some of the smaller cities, but they've picked on the wrong small city.... [W]e like our heritage, and they're messing with the wrong folks here."

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 10, 2009 (boomark / email).