Lodi stands tall in council prayer controversy October 6, 2009 Charlie Butts – OneNewsNow   Another California town is standing up to an atheist group over city council prayer. The Freedom from Religion Foundation had threatened Lodi, California, with a lawsuit if it did not stop the practice of praying in Jesus’ name. [Chaplain] Gordon …
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Lodi defends its public prayers October 3, 2009 Steve Chawkins — LA Times   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. Turlock, Tracy, Tehachapi, Lancaster — …
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Lodi Letdown: Calif. City Votes To Continue Official Prayers October 1, 2009 Rob Boston — Americans United   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. As the face of American religion changes, it’s bound …
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Turlock puts ‘trust in God’ October 1, 2009 Patty Guerra — The Sacramento Bee   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 …
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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 …
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Pray in Jesus Name Org. Scores Victory in City Council Vote October 2, 2009 The Church Report — The Church Report   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. The conflict …
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California City Council OKs Prayers in Jesus’ Name October 2, 2009 Adrienne S. Gaines — Charisma News   City officials in Lodi, Calif., voted unanimously Wednesday to allow prayers in Jesus’ name before City Council meetings. The 5 – 0 vote reverses a policy instituted in May that required all prayers to be “non-sectarian and …
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Lodi may be headed for prayer lawsuit October 2, 2009 Maggie Creamer — Lodi News-Sentinel   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. “We’ll see how it pans …
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