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Lord, we ask that our religious freedoms would be protected in this nation. We need You, Father.
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A judge has issued a decree banning a Christian Texas judge from opening his courtroom proceedings in prayer, providing a legal victory to a prominent secular legal organization.

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The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit established to promote a strict separation of church and state, won a challenge to prohibit Judge Wayne Mack, a justice of the peace from an area north of Houston in Montgomery County, from opening his courtroom with non-mandatory chaplain-led prayer.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt ruled on May 21 in favor of FRFF and anonymous local attorney “John Roe,” who has appeared in Mack’s courtroom at least 20 times and witnessed the chaplain-led prayers.

“The Court declares that the defendant’s practice of opening regular court proceedings with religious prayers is unconstitutional,” Hoyt wrote. “Should the defendant violate this Court’s declaratory decree, an injunction will issue.” . . .

Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president, said in a statement that the “courtroom is not a church.” . . .

Judge Mack promised to institute “religious values within the office” and open his courtroom with prayer during his 2014 Republican primary campaign for his position as justice of the peace for Montgomery County Precinct 1. . . .

He has implemented various faith-based initiatives, such as the Justice Court Chaplaincy Program and prayer breakfasts.  . . .

He established the Justice Court Chaplaincy Program, where volunteer chaplains who are primarily Chrisitan would initiate court proceedings with an opening prayer or an invocation and share a short message from the Bible, the complaint states.

Mack introduced the chaplain and stated the name and location of the chaplain’s church. The bailiff would announce the prayers and allow anyone to leave the courtroom without their case being affected though the courtroom doors were locked to those on the outside.  . . .

Some citizens feared Mack would judge their cases differently based on whether they stayed for the optional prayer.  . . .

In the lawsuit, FRFF asserted Mack’s chaplain-led prayers are “unconstitutionally coercive” with “purpose and effect” of promoting religion.

FFRF wrote a letter to the defendant in September 2014 stating the opening ceremony that included prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from “respecting an establishment of religion.”

In an open letter addressed to “Pastors & People of Faith” in 2014, Mack wrote that his chaplaincy program has come under “national and local attack” by those that “believe that God & Faith has no place in public lives and service.”  . . .

FFRF originally challenged the courtroom prayers through a lawsuit filed in 2017. The suit was refiled in 2019.

FRFF was granted default judgment on March 25, declaring that Mack’s prayer violated the First Amendment.

Mack is represented by the First Liberty Institute, a legal nonprofit that advocates for religious freedom rights.  . . .

Liberty Institute maintains that Mack allows “multi-faith, volunteer chaplains to open his courtroom ceremonies.” The program has included chaplains from Christian, Sunni Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Mack is not even in the courtroom when the invocations are given, the legal group argues.  . . . 

Share your prayers for this chaplain in the comments below!

(Excerpt from Christian Post. Article by Emily Wood. Photo Credit: Canva.)

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Betty Edwards
June 3, 2021

What are these people so afraid of?? That is my question for all of them.
One thing is for sure!! They had better start fearing God before it’s too late for them. Jesus Christ is their only answer.
June 3, 2021

Betty Edwards
June 3, 2021

What are these people so afraid of?? That is my question for all of them.
One thing is for sure!! They had better start fearing God before it’s too late for them.

Melody
May 28, 2021

If the foundations are destroyed what will the righteous do…..

LET FREEDOM RING!!!

6
Laurie
May 27, 2021

Father,
Wake up these activists that fight so hard against You and let them be the testimony for You that Paul became. Get their attention and change their hearts so thoroughly that they become an unsurpassed advocate for You and Your word. Give the judge strength to continue seeking you in the courtroom. In Jesus name

16
Vickie
May 27, 2021

Dear Lord, I ask that our religious freedoms and Biblical values would be protected in this nation. We need Your intervention, wisdom, and discernment, Lord. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

32
Susan
May 27, 2021

I would tell Judge Mack to do the same thing the valedictorian did when he was disallowed to pray at high school graduation. Sneeze every time he steps on the bench – and most people in the court room will say:
God Bless You!

30
JACQUELYN Y MILLER
May 27, 2021

TOO MUCH WORLD AND NOT ENOUGH JESUS…AND THE CHURCH SLEEPS ON. AWAKEN US, O GOD!

34
Lisa
May 27, 2021

Can’t believe this judge is still fighting this. This has been going on now for at least 4 years. God will win.

34
Mcn
May 27, 2021

Want to know more about how atheists “think”? Take a look at the FRFF website.
God tells us that “without knowledge, my people perish”. It’s up to us to have as much knowledge, as possible, about organizations or people who attack Christianity. That is another way we prepare for battle. While many of us cannot comprehend that people think like they do, studying their arguments and how “appeal” to those arguments gives us knowledge in how to pray for them and against what they are doing to others and this nation.
FRFF truly believes that separation of church and state exists – even though it’s nowhere in our Constitution.
Here is a link to their website. They are based out of Madison WI., which has a long history of an area being a liberal leftist anti-Christian stronghold. Pray for these people involved with this organization – they are truly lost.
https://ffrf.org/

30
Curtis Guhl
May 27, 2021

If we are allowed legal representation then prayer is legal representation before the righteous judge. This applies to all forms of government and is due process.

42
Jan Barwick
May 27, 2021

Lord, we pray you will strengthen this Christian judge to stand firm in his conviction. You, Lord, fight his battle. We are standing against evil in the spiritual world, and as we trust in you, Lord, please bring victory for those who are trusting in your Word. Thank you, Jesus.

72
Steve Hummer
May 27, 2021

This is not a ruling in favor of the Freedom from Religion Foundation. This is a ruling against God – not a good thing to do.
Our Father, the creator of the universe and everything in it, we pray for those who walk in the darkness of the world under the influence of the devil and his deceitful ways. Tough their hearts that they be not hard regarding you and your family of believers. We pray for those who are Your enemies who are as broken branches which are thrown into the fire and burned. Let the Holy Spirit work in this case so that the few will not succeed over the many. In Jesus most wonderful and beautiful name, Amen.

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