Ethics

ACLU Sues Mississippi for Sponsoring Religious Event

By Ed Brayton

The ACLU is suing the state of Mississippi for sponsoring a "teen abstinence summit" attended by thousands of teens in the state that was overtly religious.

As part of National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) holds an annual teen abstinence summit each May. After last year's summit, which included overt religious messages, the ACLU sent a letter to MDHS asking for assurances that future events would remain secular. MDHS did not respond to the ACLU's letter and failed to address the legal concerns in this year's event.

The 2009 summit featured religious themes and overtly Christian messages, including a lengthy presentation about the Ten Commandments by Judge John N. Hudson of the Adams County Court in Natchez, MS. Judge Hudson told the audience, "Abstain, God says, from promiscuous sex - thou shall not commit adultery. But why? Is not God being a killjoy? Did He not create this great gift which is so good and wonderful? Why would He tell us not to do it? He's not. He's telling us that He created this great and wonderful gift for a special and unique committed relationship that is to last forever." The program also included several prayers and a performance to gospel songs by the Pilgrim Rest Mime Ministry.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on September 14, 2009 (boomark / email).