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A federal court has ordered the Rowan County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina to stop opening its meetings with overtly Christian prayers.
In a news release, the American Civil Liberties Union said the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina prohibited the county from “knowingly and/or intentionally delivering or allowing to be delivered sectarian prayers” at official board meetings.
The lawsuit alleged that the board’s opening prayers had included unmistakably Christian phrases, such as “the birth of Jesus Christ,” “the guidance of the Holy Spirit,” “the resurrection,” and the “virgin birth.” More than 97 percent of board meetings since 2007 opened with Christian prayers, according to the ACLU.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled last year that Greece, New York violated the First Amendment by holding Christian prayers at town board meetings. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to rule on prayers at government meetings by June 2014.
Read more @: Federal court halts Christian prayers at North Carolina county meetings | The Raw Story
A big win for civil liberties. All members should be treated equally and government bodies should not open sessions with a prayer. This is a win for a cornerstone on the Separation of Church and State.