Tracy clarifies prayer policy
September 17, 2009

Jennie Rodriguez — Recordnet.com

For years, City Council meetings have started with a prayer traditionally performed by a Christian leader. The prayers usually invoke the name of Jesus Christ.

This week, the city will send letters to Tracy’s 65 churches of all faiths clarifying its policy on inclusive prayers. The council is responding to a national organization that fights for the separation of church and state.

Participating Tracy churches will receive a letter that encourages prayers to be “accessible” to people of various backgrounds and faiths, while other congregations will receive a letter also inviting them to take part in the invocation tradition.

The city took action after receiving a notice from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, urging the council to discontinue invocations that reference Christianity.

The foundation’s letter to Tracy is one in a series to city halls across the nation that hold invocations with specific religious references.

Lodi also has been warned by the organization.

[…]

Other cities in California that have received letters are Turlock and Tehachapi.

In Tracy, prayerful invocations have “been a long tradition,” City Attorney Daniel Sodergren said Tuesday.

“Right now, we’re not recommending any changes to the policy,” Sodergren said. But he recommended that the city make clear its existing rules which support broader approaches to prayer.

With only one person speaking out against the adjustment, council members on Tuesday unanimously voted to move forward with a plan to promote such prayers.

Original Article

Victory for Jesus Prayers — Lodi CA Votes 5-0 to Defeat Atheist Complainers
October 1, 2009

Christian Newswire — Christian Newswire

The victory vote came after months of lobbying, petitioning, protesting, and pro-Jesus rallies, both in Lodi and nationwide, organized by The Pray In Jesus Name Project.

An atheist group from Wisconsin has threatened a lawsuit if the city allows Jesus prayers, but the Mayor and four other councilors found their back-bone, and handed the atheists a resounding defeat.

This month four California cities, Tehachapi, Tracy, Turlock, and now Lodi have all heroically voted unanimously to allow free speech and public prayers “in Jesus name,” even under threat of lawsuit.

“This victory should inspire legislators across America, that 85% of polled voters want you to allow public prayers ‘in Jesus name,’ even in public venues,” said Chaplain Klingenschmitt. “Don’t cave-in to empty threats of lawsuits by atheist complainers. Christian voters will rally to support you, and Jesus is not an illegal word!”

Secret emails now available at www.prayinjesusname.org show that Lodi Mayor Larry Hansen changed his previous plan to vote against Jesus, two days ago on 28 September. Coincidentally, that same day he was notified by a Lodi newspaper that The Pray In Jesus Name Project would publish highway billboards announcing his vote, if he had voted against Jesus, likely damaging his chances of re-election next year.

“The timeline on our web-site, quoting Mayor Hansen’s own emails and words, clearly shows he suddenly changed his vote upon hearing of our plan to purchase billboards,” said Chaplain Klingenschmitt who led a 400-person Jesus rally in Lodi last month.

“Although the Mayor complained of our plan, and called us unchristian names, we’re grateful for his change of heart, whatever his reasons, he voted for Jesus and free-speech in the end. Perhaps the success of our billboard plan proves Ronald Reagan’s adage: ‘When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.'”

Chaplain Klingenschmitt is available for nationwide media interviews at 719-360-5132 or email chaplaingate@yahoo.com.

Original Article

Prayer debate continues as council prepares to vote
September 26, 2009

Maggie Creamer — Lodi News-Sentinel

The council has dedicated an entire special meeting to the issue. The 6:30 p.m. meeting was moved to Hutchins Street Square to accommodate what is expected to be a large crowd.

The council is having the meeting because of a letter it received in May from the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation threatening to sue if the council did not enforce its own policy limiting prayers to “non-sectarian and non-denominational.” The letter specifically mentioned 39 references to Jesus in 55 prayers the group watched online.

Lodi is not the first California city to be challenged on the issue of prayers before meetings. Tehachapi, Turlock and Tracy also received letters from the group asking them to modify the cities prayer policies.

On Monday, five councilmembers in Tehachapi voted unanimously to not put limits on what religious leaders say during prayers.

Linda Vernon started the prayers in the city, which is east of Bakersfield, when she became mayor in January. She decided to start the religious expression after seeing it done in other cities and at the state and federal level.

“It adds a whole respectful decorum to the meeting itself,” Vernon said.

The city will continue with secular prayers, Vernon said, because it is a freedom of speech issue.

“It’s also a deeply personal issue because people of faith want to seek the guidance and wisdom of a higher being,” she said.

She believes the city is following what is required by law, and said she hopes the group will not pursue legal action.

“I don’t want to increase any additional level of expenses for my city, but it’s a basic human right we have,” Vernon said.

On Sept. 16, Tracy decided not to change its official policy that allows speakers to say what they want during prayers, according to an article in the Tracy Press.

[…]

On Tuesday, the Turlock City Council unanimously approved a policy it received from the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian-based organization, that still allows religious leaders to say what they want during the invocation, City Manager Roy Wasden said.

About a dozen residents showed up to voice their opinions, Wasden said, and all but two or three were supportive.

What will happen in Lodi?

In Lodi, the council could possibly decide on a policy Wednesday after hearing feedback from the public.

The city is expecting a large crowd — the August meeting attracted 400 people who gathered for a prayer meeting near Carnegie Forum, and a couple dozen joined together for a counter rally.

Lodi United, a group against prayers at council meetings, will hold another rally Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. until the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Hutchins Street Square, said group founder David Diskin.

“We are hoping that the outcome will be that the city sees this as an opportunity to support tolerance and unity, and do away with a public prayer or make it a moment of silence,” Diskin said.

Diskin said his group has grown from a grassroots organization of mainly non-believers to a group with people from many religions and denominations.

He has met with leaders of a Seventh-day Adventist congregation, rabbis from Stockton and leaders from the Lodi Mosque, who have been “extremely supportive of what we are doing,” Diskin said.

The newly formed group Citizens for Uncensored Prayer is planning to make comments at the meeting, but no rally is planned for beforehand, founder Ken Owen said. Owen also leads the group Christian Community Concerns, which previously spoke out against gambling.

The coalition of local organizations, pastors, attorneys and citizens would like to see the council continue allowing free speech, Owen said.

When the council makes its decision, he would like the members to consider if the final decision honors God, upholds the Constitution, evens out the playing field for everyone, treats everyone fair and equal, and doesn’t limit freedom of speech.

“The final decision that the council makes cannot be made out of concern of offending someone,” Owen said. “It has to be in the best interest of the council and all the citizens of the city.”

The national group The Pray In Jesus Name Project led the rally in August, but its leader, Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, said he is not planning another rally on Wednesday.

While the Colorado resident cannot attend the meeting because he will be taking exams for his theology doctorate, he sent out 900 faxes to local churches encouraging them to go.

Klingenschmitt says his organization is raising money to pay for $7,000 in expenses from the August rally and another $10,000 to contribute to any attorney fees the city could be required to pay if it went to court and lost.

His Web site says the group is at $4,500, but he said that number is outdated. He would not say how much the group has raised.

He also did not have a list of expenses for the August rally, but said the money went to pay for the sound system, insurance and advertising the rally. He said his staff volunteered its time to plan the event and were not paid.

“Our non-profit is running on a shoe string. It’s not profitable; I’m personally losing money on this fight,” he said.

During the August rally, many of Lodi’s local clergy did not attend. Owen said his group has not been as vocal in public, but instead has been working with the council members and City Attorney Steve Schwabauer.

Klingenschmitt raised awareness about the issue, Owen said, but in the process, he isolated some of the local clergy and the councilmembers.

“We do not want to vilify the city council. But it seems like that was (the group’s) intent, because they didn’t know that the city council wasn’t the villain,” Owen said. “The Freedom From Religion Foundation is the one pushing the envelope.”

The foundation could not be reached for further comment Friday afternoon.

Original Article

Group threatens to display on billboards how council members vote on invocations
September 29, 2009

Maggie Creamer — Lodi News-Sentinel

The council received a letter from Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt, the founder of the Colorado-based national group The Pray In Jesus Name Project, saying he will purchase billboards on Interstate 5 and Highway 99 for one year if the council approves a policy that gets rid of the prayer or forbids religious leaders from saying “Jesus.”

“If you vote the wrong way, or silence prayers or leave in place the current policy that suddenly enforces censorship of Jesus’ name from prayers (as never before), you should be aware of our plan … ” Klingenschmitt wrote in the letter that the city clerk’s office received Sept. 22.

But some council members are taking exception to Klingenschmitt’s approach. When deciding what is best for the community, Councilman Bob Johnson said he will not take into consideration what he described as Klingenschmitt’s attempts at blackmail.

“I take strong exception to your attempt to influence my vote on invocations through the use of blackmail. Your attempt at petty thuggery will not be a part of my thought process,” Johnson wrote in an e-mail to Klingenscmitt.

The council will consider whether to change its prayer policy at a special meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hutchins Street Square. The issue came into the forefront after the city received a letter in May from the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom of Religion Foundation threatening a lawsuit if the city did not start enforcing its own policy requiring invocations to be “non-sectarian and non-denominational.”

The money to purchase the billboards will come from the $10,000 in donations Klingenschmitt has pledged to provide the city help in court if Lodi is sued because it continues to allow Jesus’ name to be said during prayers, he said.

Mayor Larry Hansen described the idea of using billboards as a “veiled threat.”

“First of all, this doesn’t influence me to any degree,” Hansen said. “I liken this to e-mails I receive that say if you don’t vote against Wal-Mart, I will not vote for you again. I will never, ever, ever vote based upon whether people are going to vote me in or out of office.”

Hansen said he is not impressed by how Klingenschmitt is handling the situation.

[…]

Councilman Phil Katzakian dismissed the letter and said he is focusing on what will happen on Wednesday.

[…]

Councilwoman Susan Hitchcock said Klingenschmitt is free to spend his money as he pleases, but she could think of better ways he could be helping others, like by donating to charity.

“On one hand, we have people wanting to sue us. Now we have people that are going to put billboards up,” she said.

Hitchcock said the council has to weigh many issues when making a decision and she will be comfortable with what she decides in the end.

“I don’t care if (my vote) is on a billboard or announced in a newspaper or on national TV,” she said.

Councilwoman JoAnne Mounce said she had not yet read the letter from Klingenschmitt and had no comment.

Klingenschmitt said he did not mean to offend the council members, but instead wanted to inform them about his plans.

“If they are embarrassed about the way they intend to vote, then I can see how they would fear the publicity. If they vote against Jesus, against free speech, against the Constitution and against 85 percent of the public, I could see where they would want that to be kept secret,” he said.

Klingenscmitt said he has raised $7,000 to cover expenses from organizing an Aug. 5 rally in front of Carnegie Forum.

He did not have a list of line item expenses for the rally, but he said the money went to pay for the sound system, insurance and advertising.

He also has raised $4,000 toward his goal of $10,000 to help with any possible city legal expenses or to pay for billboards. Whatever he doesn’t raise, he will pay out of his own pocket, he said.

Original Article

Lodi City Council votes to keep prayer as ‘uncensored invocation’ (local reactions)
October 1, 2009

Terri Fraracci — The Examiner

The sidewalks around Hutchins Street Square were lined with protesters and supporters for both sides of the debate well before the doors opened for the historic meeting. Some carried signs, some chanted, others sang. All were determined to let their voices be heard and support their beliefs. There was some argument and yelling as emotions rose outside. Those who spoke inside were passionate, but the meeting itself was held without incident.

The council moved the meeting to the square in anticipation of a large crowd and they were not disappointed. Please see – Lodi Invocation Meeting moved in anticipation of large crowd/ Schwabauer releases possible policies. Over 700 people attended and many were allowed to speak before the vote was cast nearly five hours into the meeting.

Under threat of a lawsuit from The Freedom From Religion Group and public humiliation from The Pray in Jesus’ Name Project, the council members voted the same way that Tehapachi and Tracy recently voted. All three towns have now voted to keep invocations; expanding the invitation to non-religious groups. Turlock voted to keep their policy which already allows the same.

Christians will still be allowed to invoke the name of Jesus. Non-Christians of faith will continue to be invited, and the non-religious will be included. Those who believe that invocation has no place in government proceedings lost their fight in Lodi.

[…]

Original Article

Lodi mayor leans toward uncensored prayer
September 30, 2009

Alex Murashko — The Examiner

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Hansen said, “I’m leaning toward having an opportunity for any individual to offer a prayer prior to the council meeting, and the prayer would be uncensored.”

Hansen said also he is leaning toward following a policy suggested by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which would specify that the prayer is not part of the council agenda.

“We’re looking at doing a non-agendized invocation,” he said, “where people can pray according to the dictates of their conscience.”

The ADF along with former Navy Chaplain Gordon Kligenschmitt joined the fray over prayer when the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) threatened Lodi officials in May with a lawsuit over the city’s invocations that often invoke the name of Jesus. Klingenschmitt, founder of the Pray in Jesus Name Project, sent a letter this week to city officials stating that he will post billboards on local highways which detail how council members voted on the issue should prayer or using ‘Jesus’ name not be allowed.

[…]

The Tehachapi City Council, which also was threatened with a lawsuit from FFRF, recently voted unanimously to not put limits on what religious leaders say during opening prayers for its meetings.

Other California cities have also been confronted with challenges to prayer policies.

Tracy recenlty decided not to change its official policy that allows speakers to say what they want during prayers, according to an article in the Tracy Press. Instead, the city will send out letters to those who sign up, asking them to limit what they say during their prayers, which would include dropping references to Jesus Christ.

On Tuesday, the Turlock City Council unanimously approved the same policy Hansen said he is leaning toward, one that still allows religious leaders to say what they want during the invocation.

Original Article

California City Council OKs Prayers in Jesus’ Name
October 2, 2009

Adrienne S. Gaines — Charisma News

The 5 – 0 vote reverses a policy instituted in May that required all prayers to be “non-sectarian and non-denominational.”

The council is developing a new prayer policy allowing uncensored invocations that avoid favoring any religion. The policy also would encourage participation by representatives from diverse religious and nonreligious groups, the Lodi News-Sentinel reported.

(Photo: Former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt, founder of the Pray In Jesus Name Project)

The case stems from a letter the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent the council in May complaining about its practice of opening meetings with prayers that invoked the name of Jesus. The atheist organization said the prayers “lead a reasonable observer to believe that the Council is endorsing not only religion over nonreligion but also Christianity over other faiths.”

The council instituted a ban on sectarian prayer, which resulted in protests, rallies and an online petition arguing that ban on prayer in Jesus’ name was unconstitutional. The petition, organized by the Pray In Jesus Name Project, generated thousands of signatures.

On Wednesday, more than 700 Lodi residents packed the auditorium for a public hearing on the issue. Some advocated a moment of silence. Others called for a total ban on prayers, while others supported prayers in Jesus’ name.

During the hearing, former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt, founder of the Pray In Jesus Name Project, advocated for allowing not only Christian prayers but also atheist, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist invocations.

He called the vote a victory for free speech. “This victory should inspire legislators across America that 85 percent of polled voters want you to allow public prayers in Jesus’ name, even in public venues,” Klingenschmitt said in a statement. “Don’t cave-in to empty threats of lawsuits by atheist complainers. Christian voters will rally to support you, and Jesus is not an illegal word.”

The Lodi City Council decision follows votes in three other California cities – Tehachapi, Tracy, and Turlock – to allow uncensored prayers. All three cities received letters from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Despite the revised policy in Lodi, Freedom From Religion Foundation co-founder Annie Gaylor said her group will likely sue Lodi or one of the other three California cities over their prayer policies.

[…]

She said before filing her group will watch the invocations under the new Lodi policy. It will also monitor the other cities to see which would make the best test case.

Original Article

Lodi may be headed for prayer lawsuit
October 2, 2009

Maggie Creamer — Lodi News-Sentinel

“We’ll see how it pans out and probably will have to sue because there is widespread disrespect for the law in the state of California,” said Annie Gaylor, co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Her comments come after the council decided to broaden its prayer policy to allow religious leaders to offer uncensored prayers, so Christian leaders will be able to say “Jesus Christ.”

The council made some other changes and additions to the prayer policy:

— Invocations will be given before the meeting is called to order. Previously, the prayers happened after the meeting had been called to order and before the Pledge of Allegiance.

— The council will actively encourage all religious traditions within Lodi to give invocations. The city expanded this to include religious leaders who have to travel outside of Lodi to attend a place of worship like members of the Sikh or Jewish religions.

— Non-religious groups will have the opportunity to give a Call to Civic Responsibility.

— The council will continue to not allow invocations that seek to convert or demean a particular religious belief or lack thereof.

— The prayer will remain on the agenda, but there will also be a disclaimer saying the invocation is an acknowledgment of diverse religious traditions and is not an endorsement of any religion or belief.

The previous policy restricted prayer to “non-sectarian and nondenominational,” but many religious leaders still said “Jesus Christ.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is based in Madison, Wis., filed a letter to the city asking it enforce its own policy and eliminate references to Jesus.

Before filing a suit on the new policy, the foundation will watch the invocations under the new policy, Gaylor said.

She said the foundation will monitor the other cities in California the group has challenged — Tracy, Turlock and Tehachapi — to see what would be the best test case.

She is disappointed the council gave in to religious pressure, and hopes someday there will be a consequence for government leaders who push religion.

“There are no penalties for councilmembers,” Gaylor said. “Public officials should have to answer for this instead of gambling with taxpayers’ dollars.”

But Century Assembly Pastor Dale Edwards said he is confident that allowing uncensored prayer will include all faiths while not restricting freedom of speech.

“I think that it allowed uncensored prayer for those of all faiths to be able to participate. For those of no faith, there was an allowance for them as well, and puts everyone on an equal playing field,” Edwards said.

Edwards said he understands that the city might have to go to court over the decision, but also said there are many issues people will file lawsuits on. He believe it is courageous that the council took a stand.

“There is no guarantee that we are going to live in this country and someone is not going to be offended. … We’ve lost civil liberties already. This is as far as we have to go,” he said.

The city attorney’s office will now draft a policy allowing uncensored prayer, and the council will vote on it at a future meeting.

The policy the council decided on Wednesday night will allow leaders to make religious references as long as they are not proselytizing.

Gaylor said opening the prayers up to anyone will be interesting because the council might become disenchanted with its own policy. She said the council might consider changing its policy after someone comes in and says the council can only be ethical if it doesn’t believe in a God or says Allah should be worshipped as the only prophet.

Lodi United founder David Diskin said he wishes the city would have eliminated prayers before the meeting and gone to a moment of silence, but he will respect the council’s decision. He said he would be honored to give a speech before the council meeting even though he is an atheist.

“We respect it, but we would have wished they would have opted for an option that eliminates the prayer, but instead lets them pray silently,” Diskin said.

His group will still be watching the invocations to see if the city is opening it up to a variety of faiths, and to make sure they do not cross legal parameters.

[…]

After hearing the council will continue prayer, Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt said he was celebrating. Klingenschmitt founded The Pray in Jesus Name Project, which organized a prayer rally in August and has been encouraging Lodi to allow uncensored prayer.

“It’s a testament to the faithfulness of Jesus Christ,” he said. “God has answered our prayers. There were people who did a lot of things, but all the credit goes to Jesus.”

He sent an e-mail to media outlets on Thursday saying it was “remarkable” timing that Mayor Larry Hansen voted for uncensored prayer after saying previously he supported non-denominational prayer. He attributes this switch in part to his press release saying he would post council votes on prayer on billboards on Highway 99 and Interstate 5.

“But Mayor Hansen, up for re-election next year, suddenly sees the light … ” Klingenschmitt wrote in reference to the billboards.

But Hansen vehemently denies the billboard threat had anything to do with his decision. He said he has been researching the issue and met with many members of the local clergy to come up with the best solution.

[…]

Original Article

Pray in Jesus Name Org. Scores Victory in City Council Vote
October 2, 2009

The Church Report — The Church Report

The conflict in town of Lodi began in May when the city council went through their usual prayer before their meeting. During that meeting, a spectator in the audience took exception to the prayer and complained to the Freedom from Religion Foundation. It was shortly thereafter, that the complaint reached City Hall in Lodi.

After hours of public debate on Wednesday evening, attended by more than 800 people, the council voted between several options: eliminating prayer entirely, changing the prayer to a moment of silence, keeping the non denominational prayer with “strong enforcement” or allowing “full uncensored prayer.” Ultimately, the vote was a unanimous 5-0 in favor of allowing uncensored prayer.

However, this victory for prayer was not without tumult or fierce battles from both sides of the issue. Throughout the last several months, groups from both sides, including the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the vocal, Pray in Jesus Name organization, lead by former Navy Chaplain James Klingenschmitt, had rallied their supporters in an effort to gain the council votes needed.

The Pray in Jesus Name organization was said to have been prepared to publicly out Mayor Hansen of Lodi on his “No” vote. According to Klingenschmitt, “secret emails” were obtained and the group had learned of Hansen’s “no “vote in advance of the Wednesday meeting. Pray in Jesus Name was prepared to post billboards throughout the town stating Hansen’s vote and thus damage him in an upcoming election.

While this tactic was never initiated, Klingenschmitt said, “Although the Mayor complained of our plan, and called us un-Christian names, we’re grateful for his change of heart, whatever his reasons, he voted for Jesus and free-speech in the end. Perhaps the success of our billboard plan proves Ronald Reagan’s adage: ‘When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.'”

Following the conclusion of the unanimous vote, councilwoman Susan Hitchcock said that the council listened to the people of Lodi and was not concerned about a lawsuit.

[…]

David Diskin, a representative for Lodi United, a group seeking to ban all prayer in the council, said, “If they continue to invoke these specific deities and mentioning “Jesus” name, then there is the likelihood that we will continue this issue and that there might be a lawsuit.”

Finally, Chaplain Klingenschmitt, took a moment to give thanks and encourage other like those in Lodi who stood up for prayer by saying, “this victory should inspire legislators across America, that 85% of polled voters want you to allow public prayers ‘in Jesus name,’ even in public venues,” don’t cave-in to empty threats of lawsuits by atheist complainers. Christian voters will rally to support you, and Jesus is not an illegal word!”

Original Article