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On 9 Jul 10, FOX News reported that Ron Baity, pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, was relieved of his duties as an honorary chaplain because he closed his prayer in Jesus' name. FOX News quoted Baity as relating that when his prayer was previewed by a House Clerk, she told him, “‘We would prefer that you not use the name Jesus. We have some people here that can be offended.”
According to a 9 Jul 10, Christian Law Journal report, Baity was quoted as saying, “My response to her [the clerk] was I am a Christian and as a Christian I too can be offended, and I am offended if I cannot pray in the name of Jesus.”
The Christian Law Journal report related that the clerk referred the issue to House Speaker Joe Hackney (D). This apparently resulted in a joint statement being released by Hackney and House Republican Leader Paul Stam which stated, “It has been our practice in the North Carolina House of Representatives for many years to request, but not require, that our guest chaplains deliver a nonsectarian prayer. This is intended as a show of respect for all the religions practiced by the members of the House and the people we represent.”
The statement continued, “In this instance, we allowed Pastor Baity to deliver his prayer, without interference, even though it was sectarian in nature. Nonetheless, we will review our procedures and guidelines concerning guest chaplains, and we will make sure we abide by applicable constitutional procedures.”
The Christian Law Journal report quoted Baity as responding, “When the state tells you how to pray, that you cannot use the name of Jesus – that’s mandating a state religion,” he said. “They talk about not offending other people but at the same time, if they are telling me how to pray – that’s the very thing our forefathers left England for.”
According to an 8 Jul 10, Christian Law Association press release, Baity expressed, “I was made to feel like a second class North Carolinian when I was told that my services would no longer be needed if I could not offer the opening prayer in the manner prescribed by the House of Representatives, rather than in the manner my Biblical faith requires. It appears that only those religious leaders willing to pray a government prescribed prayer will be given the honor of participating in this legislative prayer exercise in the future.”
The press release also quoted Attorney David C Gibbs III, of the Christian Law Association of Seminole, FL, who commented, “The First Amendment promises all Americans the free exercise of their religion, which includes the right to pray as their faith requires, even when they are invited to open state legislative sessions with prayer. We trust that the North Carolina House of Representatives will realize its mistake and will offer Pastor Baity another opportunity to pray without requiring him to use a prayer that is mandated by the government.”
Gibbs wrote in a letter to North Carolina House Officials, on behalf of Baity, “It is our legal opinion that the North Carolina House of Representatives violated Pastor Baity's federal and state constitutional rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion by censoring his prayers and by telling him that because his religion requires him to offer prayers in the name of Jesus, that he is disqualified from offering an opening prayer in the North Carolina House of Representatives.”
Gibbs noted that the first prayer of the Continental Congress of 1774 concluded with the words, “All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.” Gibbs then asked, “Would the North Carolina legislators ban the use of the first prayer ever prayed in America's Constitutional Convention because it was prayed in Jesus' name, the very manner Pastor Baity's religion requires that his prayers be offered?”
In the conclusion of the letter, Gibbs requested that Baity be issued a letter of apology and that Baity be invited to return and once again be able to offer the opening prayer, but without fear of being censored.
Cited Articles and Posts
FOX News (9 Jul 10)
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/09/pastor-yanked-capitol-jesus-prayer/
Christian Law Journal (9 Jul 10)
http://www.christianlawjournal.com/featured-articles/n-c-pastor-fired-for-jesus-prayer-at-state-capitol/
Christian Law Association (8 Jul 10)
http://www.christianlaw.org/cla/index.php/what-we-do/press_release
ChristianLaw.org (7 Jul 10)
http://www.christianlaw.org/cla/media/downloads/Letter.PDF
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