Archives for 2009

Facebook Users Rally For God

August 4, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

Facebook Users Rally For God
July 28, 2009

Jamie Soriano — FOX 40 News

It’s a tradition the Lodi City Council has had for decades. It starts each meeting with a prayer which often calls on Jesus.

“This whole issue has taken on a life of its own,” said Lodi Mayor Larry Hansen.

Groups advocating the separation of church and state are calling on the city council to ban prayer from its meetings. Now that debate has hit the internet on sites like Facebook.

“Facebook has been very helpful because it attracts the young people. We want young people who are full of energy who love Jesus,” said Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt of Colorado Springs. He’s organizing a rally ahead of next week’s council meeting and is spreading the word via Facebook.

“We hope that pastors from all over California will bring their church buses, their people to simply pray in Jesus’ name,” said Klingenschmitt.

“People are certainly welcome to meet, to exercise their freedom of speech, their freedom of religion,” said Mayor Hansen.

Already more than 125 people have said they’ll attend. Four thousand others have signed an online petition. Many non-Christians are also sounding off on the social networking site saying “Keep your religion out of my government” and “Christianity is not the only religion in the U.S.”

“It’s time for California to stand up for Jesus. We don’t need to be silenced by atheist complainers,” said Klingenschmitt.

[…]

Original Article

McCall: No Mentioning Jesus In House

August 4, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

McCall: No Mentioning Jesus In House
July 21, 2009

Bradley Vasoli — The Bulletin

State House of Representatives Speaker Keith McCall, D-122nd, of Carbon County, recently instructed a guest chaplain to refrain from referring to Jesus Christ in chamber prayers.

The rule prompted a guest chaplain, Rev. Gerry Stoltzfoos of Adams County’s Freedom Valley Worship Center, to decline to recite a prayer before House members. He was invited to give the invocation by Rep. Will Tallman, R-193rd, of Adams and York counties.

Bill Patton, a spokesman for the speaker, said the guideline against mentioning a major scriptural figure like Jesus “has been in place for a number of years” and that “most of the House members have not even noticed this issue.”

One member who did notice Mr. McCall’s instruction to the minister was Kate Harper, R-61st, of Montgomery County.

“I was very surprised by that and I don’t agree with it,” she said. “I don’t know what [Mr. McCall] was thinking.”

Ms. Harper said she did not believe forbidding mentioning Jesus’ name could be justified to avoid a lawsuit someone could file to preserve the separation of church and state, a possibility to which Mr. McCall’s office has alluded.
Clergy from many different denominations have recited prayers before the House chamber in the past, she noted.

The Lower Gwynedd attorney said the General Assembly should only take precaution to avoid getting sued if it considers itself in actual danger of breaching the law.

[…]

At the invitation of state Sen. Rich Alloway, R-33rd, of Adams, Franklin and York counties, Rev. Stoltzfoos will give an invocation before the Pennsylvania Senate, which sets its rules for prayers separately from the House, on July 29.

The Colorado-based Pray in Jesus Name Project has put out a petition to get Pennsylvania and other jurisdictions around the country to scrap “nondenominational” requirements governing prayers during government meetings.

Original Article

National group stlll plans prayer before Aug. 5 council meeting

August 4, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

National group stlll plans prayer before Aug. 5 council meeting
July 21, 2009

Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt still plans to be in Lodi on Aug. 5 even though the Lodi City Council has postponed its discussion on an invocation policy that night.

“I’ve already got my plane ticket. I already advertised the rally,” the former Navy chaplain said.

The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened a lawsuit against the city in May. The foundation warned that the city must start enforcing its own policy requiring all prayers to be “non-sectarian and non-denominational.”

Klingenschmitt founded the national organization Pray in Jesus Name Project, based out of Colorado Springs, Colo. He has advertised the meeting on his Web site and on Christian radio shows.

His group still plans to hold a prayer meeting with other local religious leaders at 6 p.m. on Aug. 5 on the steps of Carnegie Forum.

But the council has decided not to discuss prayer at that meeting.

The council was tentatively scheduled to discuss whether to change its policy at the meeting, but will instead focus on other city businesses, city spokesman Jeff Hood said.

“The discussion could really take a lot of time and push off things that are time-sensitive,” Hood said.

[…]

The invocation issue is not time-sensitive, Hood said, because the city has already abided by the foundation’s request to make sure religious leaders leave Jesus Christ out of its prayers.

Before the foundation sent the letter, the city would send a card informing potential religious leaders about the city’s prayer policy. Now, a staff member in the city clerk’s office is calling the leaders and asking them if they agree to abide by the city’s policy. Only one leader has refused to come pray.

But Klingenschmitt said it is important to keep the name of Jesus Christ in the prayers before the council meetings, and he wants the council to know people will support them if they decide to fight it in court.

“It’s possible that Lodi and Tracy may not be the first battleground, but the last battleground. Other cities have already gone to a moment of silence in California,” he said. “If we don’t win in Lodi and Tracy, it’s possible the name of Jesus could become extinct in prayers across the state.”Tracy also received a letter from the foundation asking them to institute a policy that would not allow religious leaders to say Jesus Christ during their prayer.

Klingenschmitt is happy to have the extra time to continue raising money to help pay for the city’s legal expenses if the council decides to fight the foundation in court. He plans to raise $10,000, even though the Alliance Defense Fund has offered to have its lawyers work for the city pro bono. The national organization has a team of lawyers to defend public institutions from prayer-based litigation.

While the ADF has offered to defend the city, there still could be other expenses associated with litigation if the city lost, Klingenschmitt said. The $10,000 would be used to pay the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s legal expenses if the city did lose so that would ensure no tax payers money would be used, he said.

Original Article

Prayer showdown

August 4, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

Prayer showdown
August 4, 2009

Maggie Creamer — Lodi News-Sentinel

In an all-black outfit, Gordon James Klingenschmitt stood with his Bible in hand and quoted from both religious texts and the U.S. Constitution to prove that Jesus should be allowed in prayer at the Lodi City Council meetings.

The founder of the Colorado Springs, Co.-based The Pray In Jesus Name Project was standing in front of Carnegie Forum at a news conference he set up Monday.

Publicity is one of his organization’s best tools to get the word out about their cause, and a prayer rally is planned for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Klingenschmitt said. The group also used an Internet campaign to collect 5,185 signatures on a petition advocating that the word Jesus remain in prayers. Of the signatures, 2,826 are from California.

“Jesus is not an illegal word. … Now, an atheist’s group is using the government’s sword to tell me I can’t pray in Jesus’ name,” Klingenschmitt said.

A former Navy chaplain, Klingenschmitt has been in the media in recent years for arguing with communities and the military about the use of Jesus in prayer.

As the only member of the public attending the news conference, Lodi resident David Diskin stood off to the side and listened.

A week ago, Diskin joined with a small group of residents called Lodi United to organize a “counter-rally” starting at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. He stresses that the group will be made up of both atheists and people from a variety of faiths who share the belief that the council should not pray before meetings.

[…]

“We want to show the people of Lodi and the Lodi City Council that there are people who have strong opinions. … People might not come Wednesday because they are worried what their family, colleagues or business partners would say, and I can sympathize,” Diskin said.

Klingenschmitt and Diskin are on opposite ends of an argument over whether the council should enforce its “non-sectarian and non-denominational” prayer policy.

Both groups have decided to hold rallies Wednesday, even though the council will not be discussing the prayer policy.

For years, the council has allowed religious leaders to say Jesus’ name in their prayers. The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation challenged the practice in May and demanded the council enforce its own policy or face a lawsuit.

The challenge has set up a debate between those who believe the council should get rid of prayer completely and others who believe the council has gone too far by requesting that the name “Jesus Christ” be removed.

In Jesus’ name

Klingenschmitt has been embroiled in controversy over the past years by taking his organization to various communities and pushing them to continue or reinstate policies that allow prayers to Jesus.

His crusade started in the military, when he said he was told he could not pray in the name of Jesus, he said.

But his story surrounding his struggles in the Navy is different than the story of his superior, retired Navy Captain Norman Holcomb, whom the News-Sentinel interviewed by phone Monday.

During his service, Klingenschmitt preached about hell at a sailor’s funeral and protested the Navy’s failure to meet a Jewish sailor’s request for kosher meals, according to a January 2006 article in The Washington Post. The article also said he organized a group of Navy personnel who refused to attend a church service led by a gay minister during Fleet Week.

He led an 18-day hunger strike in December 2005 and January 2006 in front of the White House to require the Navy to allow him to pray in Jesus’ name. But the Navy said it had no regulation against praying to Jesus and “has always encouraged every chaplain to pray according to his own individual faith during worship services,” Navy spokesman Lt. William Marks said in the 2006 Post article.

As his commander for two years, Holcomb said Monday that Klingenschmitt’s discharge had nothing to do with praying to Jesus. Holcomb described Klingenschmitt as untruthful, lacking military commitment and unwilling to abide by established rules and regulations.

Holcomb said Klingenschmitt was court martialed because he wore his Navy chaplain uniform to a political rally, after being warned that he would be violating military procedure, he said.

In September 2006, The Washington Post also reported Klingenschmitt was court martialed because he attended a political rally in uniform during March of that year. He was found guilty of a misdemeanor count of disobeying a lawful order in September 2006.

Klingenschmitt maintained he was at the event to offer public prayer and had written permission to wear his uniform when he is conducting “a bona fide worship service or observance,” he said in the article. But military prosecutor Cmdr. Rex A. Guinn said the event was not a worship service or observance.

Klingenschmitt was then honorably discharged in 2007.

Holcomb said Klingenschmitt was always allowed to pray in Jesus’ name, but many troops did not like him as a chaplain because he would incite the soldiers during his prayers, Holcomb said.

“If you are a chaplain in the military, you can’t act like you are a preacher at a local church, because you have to take care of everybody, regardless of whether they believe what you do or not,” Holcomb said.

From the military, Klingenschmitt founded The Pray In Jesus Name Project and has been to several states in the country to assist local people in fighting against groups trying to limit prayer, he said.

“We want Lodi to stick to its guns and allow religious freedom,” he said.

SaveCalifornia.com, a statewide pro-family organization, is also throwing support behind Klingenschmitt’s cause. The group heavily campaigned for Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage that passed in November.

At the Monday news conference, president Randy Thomasson said the government should not interfere with a group’s religious freedom.

“This is about Lodi, but it is also about America. … If atheists are able to squash religious freedom in Lodi, they will be hungry to squash religious freedom in other cities,” Thomasson said.

Another group, the Alliance Defense Fund, has also voiced support for keeping a policy that allows for uncensored prayers.

Local attorney Mark Bowman, who is a member of the fund, has sent a letter to the city offering to defend Lodi in court for free if the council adopts a prayer policy that does not restrict the content of the prayer.

“It is my hope that our city will not succumb to mere ‘threats’ to remove a practice that has enjoyed over two centuries of protection,” Bowman said in a letter dated July 28.

Word of mouth opposition

While sitting outside Carnegie Forum, Diskin admits if his group had more time maybe they would have thought to also hold a news conference.

Diskin, whose day job is providing training on Microsoft Office, has never actively protested religion in government but has always felt there should be a separation of church and state.

He said Lodi United is depending on word of mouth, and he hopes the Wednesday rally will be the start of a group that opposes religion in government.

“When something comes up that is important to you, you tend to get on it right away,” he said.

The rally will go from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. and end with appetizers at Lodi Beer Company. Diskin said it is important to give the group time afterward to discuss, because many of them will be meeting for the first time.

His main objection to The Pray In Jesus Name Project is that they are going beyond supporting prayer.

“He doesn’t want to just allow prayer, but he wants to bring Jesus into these meetings. … Why would someone feel comfortable if they didn’t believe that,” Diskin said.

He imagines the group he is forming will exist even after the Lodi issue is solved, because it includes people from around the region, include Modesto, Sacramento and Turlock.

“There is no reason we can’t lend our help to them when the time comes in their cities,” Diskin said.

Original Article

Lodi prayer battle draws in others

August 4, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

Lodi prayer battle draws in others
August 4, 2009

Roger Phillips — Recordnet.com

Standing outside Carnegie Forum, leaders of two out-of-town organizations argued Monday afternoon that invocations in the name of Jesus Christ should be permitted at Lodi City Council meetings.

They said the Constitution, the courts and the Bible are on their side and suggested they have the support of Lodi clergy, though they declined to identify anyone. Their news conference was sparsely attended.

The two men said they are fighting not just for Christian invocations but for prayers at City Council meetings by ministers of all faiths, “even Muslims and Buddhists.” They also said they would not oppose a non-believer giving an invocation.

“Let atheists get up and say, ‘Good luck,'” said Gordon James Klingenschmitt, a former Navy chaplain and founder of the Pray in Jesus Name Project.

The leaders of the prayer movement have organized a rally for 6 p.m. Wednesday before Lodi’s council meeting. Lodi resident David Diskin has organized a counterdemonstration for 5:15 p.m. Diskin said he is an atheist but added that he is not interested in saying “good luck” or anything else at a future council meeting.

“I think (invocations) should be omitted from the agenda, or there should be a moment of silence, allowing everybody to pray to their own personal god or to no god at all,” said Diskin, who stood on the side while watching Monday’s news conference.

The issue has been percolating for some time. Three years ago, Councilman Larry Hansen – now Lodi’s mayor – acknowledged that the city might have been in violation of a court decision related to pre-meeting prayers. Still, city leaders often have looked the other way as Christian pastors have broken the city’s rule by invoking Jesus’ name in their invocations.

[…]

Klingenschmitt has been circulating a petition on his group’s Web site that says, “Jesus is not an illegal word, the Bible is not a banned book, and evangelistic speech is not a crime.” He said more than 5,000 people have signed the petition, including nearly 3,000 Californians.

He was accompanied at Monday’s news conference by Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, which last year took part in the campaign that passed the anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8 in California.

Of the Lodi campaign, Thomasson said, “If atheists are able to squash religious freedom in Lodi, they’re going to be hungry to squash religious freedom in more and more cities.”

The Rev. Bill Cummins of Lodi’s Bear Creek Community Church said outside groups on both sides should allow the situation to be resolved locally.

Thomasson’s organization has a Sacramento mailing address, and Klingenschmitt’s group is based in Colorado. A national organization based in Wisconsin that fights to keep religion out of government also has weighed in on the matter.

Cummins said he led the invocation at Lodi’s council meeting in late June. He said he kept Jesus’ name out of it.

“Mentioning the name is becoming a real point of contention,” Cummins said. “I can pray to the God of the Bible without mentioning that one five-letter word.”

Original Article

Christian groups rally prior to Lodi's vote on 'Christ' in prayer

August 3, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

Christian groups rally prior to Lodi’s vote on ‘Christ’ in prayer
July 9~ 2009
.
Alex Murashko — Examiner.com

The Lodi City Council is considering a resolution that would ban the mention of Jesus and other specific religions in prayers before city meetings.

The council discussed the issue in closed session last month~ because the Northern California city is facing legal action. In May~ the

[…]

Freedom From Religion Foundation threaten[ed] a lawsuit~ according to the Lodi News-Sentinel.

The atheistic group watched 55 invocations online from 2007 to the May 6 council meeting and found that 39 had a reference to Jesus Christ. The group argues that specific mentions of the word "Christ" are a violation of the city’s own policy.

The move is meeting resistance from two Christian organizations~ according to CitizenLink.com~ a Focus on the Family publication.

The Pray in Jesus’ Name Project and the Will of God Christian Center both favor allowing religiously specific prayers. They have scheduled a prayer vigil on the City Council steps the day of the vote~ Aug. 5. They are also distributing an online petition aimed at pressuring the council to abandon the effort.

Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt of the Pray in Jesus’ Name Project told the Lodi News-Sentinel: "We want the council members to know we support them if they are going to stand against the enemies of religious liberty who want to silence free speech and censor the name of Jesus out of our prayers."

FREE Petition to Mayor of Lodi California to allow prayers in Jesus name

Original Article

2009 News Articles

August 3, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

Enjoy below~ the many 2009 news articles about our ministry.

Pastors to Holder: Bible still condemns homosexuality
November 18~ 2009

A former U.S. Navy chaplain who was removed from the service after he exercised his right to pray "in Jesus’ name" against the wishes of his chain of command read the biblical condemnation of homosexuality at a rally in front of the U.S. Justice Department to protest the nation’s new "hate crimes" law.

Pastors Gather for Freedom of Speech
November 17~ 2009

It has been less than a month since President Obama signed the hate crimes bill to extend protection to gay~ lesbian~ bisexual and transgendered Americans– yet more pastors are growing concerned about the new laws.

God Squad Tries~ Fails to Get Arrested at Holder’s Front Door
November 17~ 2009

On an Indian summer afternoon in front of the Justice Department yesterday~ a group of dark-suited ministers gathered to protest recently-passed hate crimes legislation~ saying it had had a “chilling effect” on religious freedom.

Reid speeds confirmation of anti-Jesus~ pro-abortion judge
November 12~ 2009

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid~ D-Nev.~ announced his plans to move forward as early as Monday with a confirmation vote on the pro-abortion appeals court nominee who ruled against praying "in Jesus’ name" on the floor of the Indiana Legislature.

Prayers ‘in Jesus’ name allowed at City Council meetings
November 1~ 2009

Pastors offering public prayers to open Lodi City Council meetings will be allowed to use the words “in Jesus’ name~” after the municipal body voted unanimously to cease a previous ban on the language.

Murder~ He Said
October 16~ 2009

You have no right to ask someone to commit a murder~ obviously~ but it’s hard to say if the First Amendment protects the right to extol or encourage murder – not just murder in general but the murder of a person~ or class of people~ in particular.

Suit by Ex-White House Lawyer Says Prayers Incite Violence Against Him
October 15~ 2009

A lawyer who challenged a foundation’s right to endorse military chaplains claims in a lawsuit that representatives of the organization are inciting violence against him through their prayers.

Rutherford Institute Defends Right of Chaplains to Offer Imprecatory Prayers~ Opposes Efforts to Restrict Religious Speech
October 15~ 2009

The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of the head of a chaplaincy endorsing organization who is being sued over allegations that a chaplain affiliated with his group solicited imprecatory prayers which the plaintiffs consider to be "terroristic threats."

Lawyer Alleges Prayers Incite Followers to Commit Violence Against Him
October 14~ 2009

In a test of the free-speech limits on prayer~ a lawyer who has challenged the right of a Dallas-based organization to endorse military chaplains alleges in a recently filed suit that the organization incites its followers in prayers to commit violence against him.

MRFF Suit a Bad Idea
October 7~ 2009

As you may know by now~ Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has filed a lawsuit in Texas state court against Jim Ammerman~ founder of the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches~ and Gordon Klingenschmitt.

Lodi stands tall in council prayer controversy
October 6~ 2009

Another California town is standing up to an atheist group over city council prayer.

Lawyer sues to end Dallas group’s ‘threat’ prayers
October 5~ 2009

A former military lawyer who served in
the Reagan White House and worked for Ross Perot is suing a Dallas-based religious organization in a case that could test the limits of free speech and prayer.

Lodi defends its public prayers
October 3~ 2009

Small cities in California are facing high unemployment~ drained treasuries and now what some residents see as an assault on the only sacred moment in municipal affairs: the invocation at the start of city council meetings.

Lodi may be headed for prayer lawsuit
October 2~ 2009

The day after a highly anticipated decision by the Lodi City Council on prayer~ the leader of a national group says it will likely sue Lodi or another city in California over their practices.

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

City officials in Lodi~ Calif.~ voted unanimously Wednesday to allow prayers in Jesus’ name before City Council meetings.

Lodi council votes to keep prayers before meetings
October 2~ 2009

The city of Lodi~ one of a handful of small California cities challenged for their invocations during public meetings~ on Wednesday night rebuffed efforts to eliminate the prayers.

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

After several months of hard fought battles and over three hours of passionate debate Wednesday evening~ the Lodi city council voted unanimously to allow “uncensored” prayer before the city’s public meetings.

Turlock puts ‘trust in God’
October 1~ 2009

Residents of Oakdale~ Lodi and Hughson argued for and against the policy of praying at meetings~ but in the end the City Council opted to agree with a self- described "nobody special~ just a chubby~ gray-haired guy who’s lived in Turlock for a little over 20 years"

Lodi Council Permits Jesus Prayers
October 1~ 2009

The Lodi City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to allow prayers to be said in Jesus’ name before council meetings.

Lodi Letdown: Calif. City Votes To Continue Official Prayers
October 1~ 2009

I wrote earlier this week about the increasing religious diversity of America and the rise of “nones” – people who say they belong to no specific religious group.

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

After months of debate~ the Lodi City Council voted 5-0 late last night to keep prayer before council meetings. A draft will now be drawn up to invite members of all faiths~ as well as those not affiliated with any religious group; calling the non-affiliated invocation a Call to Civic Responsibility.

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

The Lodi City Council voted 5-0 last night to allow pastors to speak the previously forbidden words "in Jesus name" at the end of public prayers.

Lodi mayor leans toward uncensored prayer
September 30~ 2009

Going into tonight’s Lodi City Council meeting designated to discuss the issue of allowing prayer before meetings~ Mayor Larry Hansen said he has a workable solution.

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

Council members might soon see their names on billboards under the words "Against Jesus" and "For Jesus" depending on what the council decides Wednesday night.

R
ead More …

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

After months of debate~ rallies and even national attention~ the Lodi City Council will tackle on Wednesday the issue of whether to continue prayers before council meetings.

Tehachapi City Council votes 5-0 for opening prayers to stay
September 26~ 2009

The Tehachapi City Council voted unanimously to not put limits on what religious leaders say during opening prayers for its meetings Monday.

Tehachapi City Council Will Continue Prayer During Meetings
September 23~ 2009

For the past six months~ Tehachapi City Council meetings have begun with an invocation prayer~ but stopped after the city received a six-page letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation that said the council’s actions were unconstitutional.

Tehachapi latest city to have ‘Jesus’ under further review
September 23~ 2009

Across California and the nation~ city councils continue to grapple with the legality of opening meetings with Christian prayer and mention of Jesus.

Tracy clarifies prayer policy
September 17~ 2009

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.

ACLU threatens Lancaster officials for praying in Jesus’ name
August 18~ 2009

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California has demanded that Lancaster officials stop invoking Jesus’ name during opening prayers for government meetings~ or face possible legal action.

School prayer charges stir protests
August 17~ 2009

Students~ teachers and local pastors are protesting over a court case involving a northern Florida school principal and an athletic director who are facing criminal charges and up to six months in jail over their offer of a mealtime prayer.

Greece prayer case goes to court
August 14~ 2009

The fight against sectarian prayer before town of Greece board meetings got its day in federal court Thursday.

Lodi still a battleground for prayer warrior chaplain
August 12~ 2009

One prayer rally later~ former Navy Chaplain Gordon Kligenschmitt plans a second assault on the Lodi City Council’s hold and possible ban on using the name of Jesus before city meetings.

Case of prayer at Greece meetings heads to court
August 10~ 2009

The ongoing battle over prayers at town of Greece board meetings heads to court this week.

Lodi City Council prayer tradition causes stir
August 10~ 2009

While lining the sidewalk~ 13-year-old Eddie Lopez and about 10 other kids chanted "Jesus said ‘Amen~’" as others marched up and down the sidewalk with signs saying "Keep them separate" and "Not all Lodians ‘R’ Christian.

Tempers Flare as Lodi Council Tackles Prayer Debate
August 6~ 2009

At Lodi City Hall~ you didn’t have to look hard Wednesday evening to figure out where people stood on the issue of the wildly controversial call to end prayers before city council meetings.

Groups fan prayer dispute
August 6~ 2009

Two groups at the opposite ends of a national controversy combined for a crowd of more than 350 outside of Lodi’s City Hall on Wednesday night.

Praying in Jesus’ Name Causes Controversy in Lodi
August 6~ 2009

The city of Lodi is bracing for dueling rallies Wednesday night on both sides of the controversy of religion in a governmental forum.

Prayer Protesters And Supporters Pack Lodi
August 6~ 2009

Hundreds of people on both sides of a debate over public prayer rallied outside Lodi City Hall before the city council’s Wednesday night meeting.

Protesters Face Off Over Lodi City Council Prayers
August 6~ 2009

The battle over prayer and politics came to Lodi Wednesday evening as the City Council debated a religious ritual done before every meeting.

Christians Rally to Defend Prayers in Jesus’ Name
August 6~ 2009

A former military chaplain who battled the U.S. Navy over the right to pray in Jesus’ name is waging a similar fight in Lodi~ Calif.~ where the City Council in May temporarily banned sectarian prayers before meetings.

Prayer rallies to be held tonight before the Lodi council meeting
August 5~ 2009

Tonight~ two rallies about prayers before the Lodi City Council meetings will take place near Carnegie Forum~ where the council meets.

Lodi Council Faces Prayer Debate
August 5~ 2009

"Jesus is not an illegal word and we are defending pastors’ right to compose a prayer of their own making to their own god~" Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt said earlier.

Christians to Rally in Calif. to Defend ‘Jesus’ Prayers
August 5~ 2009

Former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt has flown to Lodi~ Calif.~ which has become the latest battleground over praying in the name of Jesus Christ.

Prayer showdown
August 4~ 2009

In an all-black outfit~ Gordon James Klingenschmitt stood with his Bible in hand and quoted from both religious texts and the U.S. Constitution to prove that Jesus should be allowed in prayer at the Lodi City Council meetings.

Lodi prayer battle draws in others
August 4~ 2009

Standing outside Carnegie Forum~ leaders of two out-of-town organizations argued Monday afternoon that invocations in the name of Jesus Christ should be permitted at Lodi City Council meetings.

Facebook Users Rally For God
July 28~ 2009

It’s a tradition the Lodi City Council has had for decades. It starts each meeting with a prayer which often calls on Jesus.

National group stlll plans prayer before Aug. 5 council meeting
July 21~ 2009

Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt still plans to be in Lodi on Aug. 5 even though the Lodi City Council has postponed its discussion on an invocation policy that night.

McCall: No Mentioning Jesus In House
July 21~ 2009

State House of Representatives Speaker Keith McCall~ D-122nd~ of Carbon County~ recently instructed a guest chaplain to refrain from referring to Jesus Christ in chamber prayers.

Pa. House prayer rejected over ‘Jesus’
July 19~ 2009

Three weeks ago~ a Christian clergyman from Adams County was surprised and upset when state House officials wouldn’t let him open a session with a prayer that contained what they termed an "offensive" word — the name of Jesus.

Right to Life

RadioWeek2-8aug09

August 3, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

The Evening Prayer Weekly National News Alert
We don’t just report the news~ we pray the scriptures~ in Jesus’ name.

Do you have one minute each day to stop and pray for America?
Join us! Read the news~ pray the scriptures~ change history.

ACTION ALERT! DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX ALL 100 SENATORS!
Please select~ sign~ and WE WILL FAX all 100 Senators to oppose and filibuster pro-abortion Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

1. Sunday~ 2 Aug 09 One Minute Prayer:

Increasing Opposition to Sotomayor Confirmation

Let us pray. Almighty God…We continue to pray Senators will oppose and filibuster Supreme Court nominee~ Judge Sonia Sotomayor~ since the shocking new polls indicate she has more public opposition than every other nominee in the last 20 years~ except Harriet Miers. With 43% of Hispanics~ 55% of Independent voters~ 52% of small business owners~ and 67% of gun owners against her confirmation~ we pray for her defeat from Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous are in authority~ the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule~ the people mourn.” In Jesus Name. Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Sunday~ 2 Aug 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP080209Sun.mp3)

2. Monday 3 Aug 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Atheists Threaten to “Lambaste” Christians at 5th August Prayer Rally

Let us pray. Almighty God…Bless and save those atheists who plan to disrupt our prayer event on Aug 5th in Lodi~ California~ especially the one who sent me threats on Facebook saying~ “Go crawl back into your hidey hole. Be ready~ I can be a major disruption with my free speech. Try to pray with me lambasting you and your jeebus. Your narrow minded views have no place in my state.” We pray from Luke 6:28~ bless those that mistreat and curse us~ and we turn the other cheek. In Jesus Name. Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Monday~ 3 Aug 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP080309Mon.mp3)

FREE PETITION: DON’T JUST PRAY~ TAKE ACTION!
Sign our FREE PETITION TO LODI~ CA Mayor Larry D. Hansen~ threatened by atheists to censor "in Jesus name" from pastors prayers.

3. Tuesday 4 Aug 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Pro-Life measure Passes then Fails~ House Mandates Abortion Coverage

Let us pray. Almighty God…From Psalm 94:21 we condemn the actions of Henry Waxman~ who banded together against the righteous and condemned the innocent to death~ by invoking House rules to reconsider and destroy a good pro-life amendment. The pro-life clause in the health care plan had already passed~ and protected the preborn~ until it failed upon reconsideration~ when two Democrats~ Rep. Bart Gordon and Rep. Zack Space changed their votes~ causing a 30 to 29 mandate for abortion coverage in “health” care~ forcing free abortions nationwide with tax-payer dollars. In Jesus Name. Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Tuesday~ 4 Aug 09. Download MP3: ( ChapsEP080409Tue.mp3)

ACTION ALERT! DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX 88 ARMED SERVICES! Please select~ sign~ and WE WILL FAX your petition to all 88 House & Senate Armed Services to remove "Hate Crimes" from Pentagon Budget

4. Wednesday 5 Aug 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Pro-Life Nurse Forced to Participate in Abortion~ Sues Hospital

Let us pray. Almighty God…Thank you for the courage of Catherina Lorena Cenzon-DeCarlo~ a nurse from New York who recently was forced to participate in a second-trimester abortion against her will~ and is now suing Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan for “blatantly” violating her rights under a 35 year old federal law that protects health care workers with religious objections from being forced to assist in murderous abortions. From Psalm 72:4~ defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy~ and crush the oppressor. In Jesus Name. Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Wednesday~ 5 Aug 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP080509Wed.mp3)

5. Thursday 6 Aug 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Christian Wrestling Coach Fired by Muslim Principal

Let us pray. Almighty God…We pray for Gerald Marszalek~ a Christian wrestling coach for 35 years~ who was fired by Imad Fadlallah~ the Muslim Principal of Fordson High school in Dearborn~ Michigan~ because the coach was friends with a Pentecostal minister who helped lead a Muslim student to Christ. From Acts 9:18 we ask that you would remove the scales from Fadlallah’s eyes so that he may come to know Christ as Lord~ and that Marszalek would be fully reinstated back to his job as wrestling coach. In Jesus Name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Thursday~ 6 Aug 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP080609Thu.mp3)

ACTION ALERT! DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX ALL 435 CONGRESSMEN!
Please select~ sign~ and WE WILL FAX all 435 Congressmen to stop burning the privately-owned Bibles of American troops.

6. Friday 7 Aug 09 One-Minute Prayer:

IRS Drops Investigation of Pastor~ Cannot Enforce Johnson Amendment

Let us pray. Almighty God…We praise you that the IRS dropped their investigation of Minnesota Pastor of Warroad Community Church~ over sermons he preached in last September’s Pulpit Initiative~ when he endorsed candidates from the pulpit during an election year~ boldly violating the bogus Johnson Amendment that intimidates pastors into political silence. Since the IRS now admits they cannot enforce that unconstitutional law~ we pray from 1 Corinthians 14:33 that you would your saints peace~ for you are not the author of confusion~ and from Joshua 1:8~ give them courage to take the land. In Jesus Name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Friday~ 7 Aug 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP080709Fri.mp3)

7. Saturday 8 Aug 09 One-Minute Prayer:

North Korean Executed for Distributing Bibles

Let us pray. Almighty God…Thank you for the faithful witness of martyr Ri Hyon Ok~ who was executed for distributing Bibles in North Korea. We pray you comfort her husband and three children~ who are now prisoners in a political re-education camp. Despite denials from the North Korean government~ we know thousands of Christians are persecuted in North Korea. We pray from 1 Cor. 16:13~ that you help those persecuted to stand firm in their faith~ being men and women of courage standing strong in the Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Saturday~ 8 Aug 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP080809Sat.mp3)

DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX ALL 235 PENN. LEGISLATORS!
Sign our NEW PETITION TO PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE & SENATE and WE WILL FAX automatically to all 235 members~ to allow Jesus prayers!

Does God answer prayers to do someone ill?

August 3, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

Does God answer prayers to do someone ill?
June 26, 2009

Tiffany Stanley — Salt Lake Tribune

Ever since Pastor Wiley Drake declared not once, but three times, on national radio that he was praying for the death of President Barack Obama, he has been trying to clarify.

Yes, he really does want God to smite Obama. No, it’s not a partisan prayer. Yes, it’s in the Bible, he says, and no, he wasn’t kidding. He’s deadly serious.

The former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention said he’s merely practicing the age-old art of “imprecatory prayer” — a theological term for praying that bad things happen to bad people.

Imprecatory prayer can turn a verse into curse through reciting Scripture aimed at one’s foes. Rather than asking for, say, healing or a win in the big game, these prayers request that God smite one’s enemies with — among other things — plagues, death and eternal damnation.

“That doesn’t mean I spend every waking hour praying for the death of the president,” said Drake, who leads Buena Park Southern Baptist Church, near Anaheim, Calif. “Of our prayers, 98 percent should be good prayers and 2 percent should be imprecatory.”

Though Scripture says Jesus told his followers to love their enemies and pray for them, the Bible also depicts King David pleading with God to vanquish his adversaries. While famed Christian apologist C.S. Lewis found such imprecatory psalms distasteful and “devilish,” even he could not deny their existence.

[…]

Gordon Klingenschmitt, a former U.S. Navy chaplain, posted an online prayer on April 25 that targeted his old foes, the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State; and Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Klingenschmitt asked God “in Jesus’ name” to “cut off their descendents” and “replace them with Godly people.”

The reason? Lynn and Weinstein had chided Klingenschmitt for not identifying himself as a former, not current, naval chaplain on his Web site. Klingenschmitt was discharged in 2007 for disobeying a superior and wearing his uniform at political demonstrations.

Weinstein, who is Jewish, sees imprecatory prayers as hate speech. He has a few words of his own for his fellow Air Force Academy alumnus, Klingenschmitt.

“I would like to beat the s— out of him in a boxing ring or in an alley behind a Safeway,” said Weinstein, who has tangled with Klingenschmitt several times before over what he calls improper proselytizing in the military.

And while Lynn has been targeted before with prayers to do him ill, he nonetheless worries that religious figures who employ prayer as a weapon might inadvertently be condoning, or perhaps inciting, worse behavior.

[…]

Yet God sometimes works in unusual ways, Drake and others say. His confession to praying against Obama came after Kansas abortionist George Tiller was gunned down in church. That killing, Drake said, was an answer to his prayers.

For his part, Drake is an equal-opportunity prayer warrior. His intercessory hit list has included Lynn, California megachurch pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren, and former Presidents Bill Clinton and even George W. Bush, whom Drake once maligned for not pardoning two border guards.

Many, including some leaders of Drake’s own Southern Baptist Convention, argue Drake and Klingenschmitt are on the fringe of Christianity. Yet imprecatory prayers touch on human needs older than the Scripture itself: anger, injustice and a desire for vengeance.

“I never wish evil upon my enemies,” Klingenschmitt said, “but the justice of God is not evil.”

Where do these prayers come from? Mostly, the Psalms, which include not only Sunday school favorites like Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my Shepherd”), but also lines about washing one’s feet in the blood of the wicked and making the children of enemies wander about and beg.

Long overlooked as the black sheep of the Bible, many of the imprecatory Psalms have been put out to pasture by churches, edited out of liturgy and Scripture readings.

Walter Brueggemann, one of the world’s foremost Hebrew Bible scholars, wants to recover these problematic texts in Christian practice. He likens imprecatory prayers to venting sessions with a divine psychotherapist: honest words that function as a safety valve against harmful action.

“We live in a society of suppressed violence that breaks out all because of a thirst for vengeance that is unacknowledged and unprocessed,” said Brueggemann, whose latest book is Praying the Psalms . “These psalms are vehicles by which that thirst can be processed in responsible and healthy ways.”

Original Article

RadioWeek26jul-1aug09

July 28, 2009 by Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt

The Evening Prayer Weekly National News Alert
We don’t just report the news~ we pray the scriptures~ in Jesus’ name.

Do you have one minute each day to stop and pray for America?
Join us! Read the news~ pray the scriptures~ change history.

ACTION ALERT! DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX ALL 100 SENATORS!
Please select~ sign~ and WE WILL FAX all 100 Senators to oppose and filibuster pro-abortion Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

1. Sunday~ 26 July 09 One Minute Prayer:

SOTOMAYOR: It’s okay for Government to ridicule Holy Bible

Let us pray. Almighty God~ we pray again for the defeat and filibuster of pro-abortion Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor~ who ruled against a Christian pastor’s first amendment rights in 2003~ in the case of Okwedy v. Molinari. Sotomayor ruled that governments have power tear down public billboards that display Christian scriptures condemning homosexual sin. God appoint leaders who will protect our freedom of speech and press~ and freedom to proclaim the word of God~ from Romans 10:17~ faith cometh by hearing~ and hearing by the word of God. In Jesus name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Sunday~ 26 July 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP072609Sun.mp3)

2. Monday 27 July 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Atheists trash facebook event page for California~ Stand Up For Jesus!

Let us pray. Almighty God~ we ask you to bless all the atheist complainers who have vandalized our facebook event page with angry statements against our state-wide prayer rally on 5 August~ California~ Stand Up For Jesus. God even while our enemies threaten to ban free speech~ and censor Jesus name from all public prayers~ even as they spit hateful words toward us~ we take a stand for Jesus from Luke 6:28~ we bless those who curse us~ we pray for those who mistreat us~ and we turn the other cheek~ in Jesus name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Monday~ 27 July 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP072709Mon.mp3)

FREE PETITION: DON’T JUST PRAY~ TAKE ACTION!
Sign our FREE PETITION TO LODI~ CA Mayor Larry D. Hansen~ threatened by atheists to censor "in Jesus name" from pastors prayers.

3. Tuesday 28 July 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Obama plays the race card after Harvard professor’s arrest

Let us pray. Almighty God~ we pray you calm the racist tensions created by President Obama~ who blamed police for the disorderly conduct of Harvard Professor Gates~ who broke into his own home~ was reported by his neighbors~ got belligerent with police~ called them racists~ refused cooperation and finally had to be arrested~ while falsely claiming persecution. Meanwhile Bishop Harry Jackson lived in Cambridge 23 years and was never mistreated by police. We pray Romans 13:3~ rulers hold no terror for those who do right~ but for those who do wrong. In Jesus name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Tuesday~ 28 July 09. Download MP3: ( ChapsEP072809Tue.mp3)

ACTION ALERT! DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX 88 ARMED SERVICES!
Please select~ sign~ and WE WILL FAX your petition to all 88 House & Senate Armed Services to remove "Hate Crimes" from Pentagon Budget

4. Wednesday 29 July 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Obama’s sweeping health care plan fully funds aborti
on on demand

Let us pray. Almighty God~ we praise you for the 20 plus pro-life Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives who signed a letter opposing President Obama’s health care plan~ claiming it will force tax-payers to fully fund abortion on demand~ and further legalize child killing across America for the next 100 years. God help these Democrats defeat abortion~ and defeat Obama’s socialist health care plan~ and stop the government funding of the murderous Planned Parenthood~ from Proverbs 6:17~ the Lord detests hands that shed innocent blood. In Jesus name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Wednesday~ 29 July 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP072909Wed.mp3)

5. Thursday 30 July 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Dow Jones breaks 9~000 on Obama’s financial pyramid scheme

Let us pray. Almighty God~ we pray you expose the economic house of cards created by President Obama’s financial pyramid scheme~ giving some people false hope as the Dow-Jones rises to 9~000 points~ by mortgaging our children’s future with trillions of dollars of deficit spending since Obama took office. We recall Matthew 7 where Jesus taught would happen to the foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down~ the streams rose~ and the winds blew and beat against that house~ and it fell with a great crash. In Jesus name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Thursday~ 30 July 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP073009Thu.mp3)

ACTION ALERT! DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX ALL 435 CONGRESSMEN!
Please select~ sign~ and WE WILL FAX all 435 Congressmen to stop burning the privately-owned Bibles of American troops.

6. Friday 31 July 09 One-Minute Prayer:

Senator promises hearings on “Don’t ask~ Don’t tell” gays in military

Let us pray. Almighty God~ we pray you help defeat the homosexual agenda~ and their new champion New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand~ who announced she has secured the commitment of Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings to reverse “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” this fall~ endangering lives by destroying military unit cohesion~ by welcoming flagrant homosexual advances among our troops. God we pray from Genesis 18~ since America is a land of sod omy~ that if you can find even ten righteous people~ you will not destroy our nation in fire. In Jesus name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Friday~ 31 July 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP073109Fri.mp3)

7. Saturday 1 Aug 09 One-Minute Prayer:

MRFF plans to drop “bombshell” on Chaplain Klingenschmitt

Let us pray. Almighty God~ we again pray imprecatory prayers against Mikey Weinstein and his atheist complainers at the anti-Christian “Militant Religion Foes Foundation~” who just announced their secret plans~ “we’re ready to drop the bomb on Klingenschmitt~” following Mr. Weinsteins threat “I would like to beat the **** out of [Klingenschmitt] in a boxing ring or in an alley behind a Safeway.” God I welcome their beatings and persecution~ which honor me as Jesus predicted in John 15:18~ “If the world hates you~ keep in mind that it hated me first.” In Jesus name~ Amen.

**Listen below! And call & ask your local Christian radio station to broadcast this 60-second prayer many times throughout the day on Saturday~ 1 Aug 09. Download MP3: (ChapsEP080109Sat.mp3)

DON’T JUST PRAY~ FAX ALL 235 PENN. LEGISLATORS!
Sign our NEW PETITION TO PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE & SENATE and WE WILL FAX automatically to all 235 members~ to allow Jesus prayers!