California City Council to vote on banning the name of Jesus
Pastor Dale Morgan
California City Council to vote on banning the name of Jesus*
July 11, 11:57 PM
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2009/06/04/news/1_invocation_090604.txt
On August 5, 2009 a city council meeting will be held specifically to
debate the proposal to ban the name of “Jesus” from all public prayers
in Lodi, California. The Lodi City Council will open the platform for
debate and then possibly vote on the ban the same night.
Lodi City Councilman, Bob Johnson stated in an interview with the
Lodi-News Sentinel that Lodi was a predominantly Christian city and the
vote would not change that. He also went on to state that the council
had only received one email complaining that the city council opened and
closed their sessions with prayer. All other emails were positive and
encouraging over the use of the name “Jesus” during invocation and
benediction.
Though local complaints were scant at best, the Lodi City Council must
take up the debate due to legal action being threatened against them by
a Madison, Wisconsin based non-profit group called, “The Freedom from
Religion Foundation”. The Foundation argues in their letter to Lodi that
using the name “Christ” or “Jesus” in the city council meetings is
against Lodi’s own city policy. When viewed, 39 of the 55 council
meetings over the past few years had the name “Jesus Christ” mentioned
during them.
“The Freedom from Religion Foundation” has sent similar letters to other
city and county governments over the past couple of years, also
threatening to take legal action if the governments did not change their
policies and/or adhere to preset strict guidelines to remain secular
during public and political meetings. The Foundation’s mantra is
“protecting the constitutional principle of the separation of state and
church.”
The Lodi City Council has decided to discuss the issue in an open format
at the upcoming August meeting because, according to Johnson, “We are a
Christian Community, regardless of whether people like it or not. And it
should be discussed in the open.”
Local Lodi Reverend Kimber from the First United Methodist Church gave
the invocation at the latest meeting and chose to leave out all
predominantly Christian verbiage. His stance was that he did not want
the local government to go to court and spend large sums of money over
this issue. In his prayer he relayed his feelings: “As we strive to play
a part in the care and development of our community, let us be
respectful of others.”
In preparation for the vote to ban “Jesus Christ” from future council
meetings, a prayer vigil has been set up for August 5th at 6 p.m. before
the debate. “Stand Up for Jesus” as it’s been coined, will include a
prayer vigil and rally. The event is being coordinated by former Navy
Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt of the “Pray in Jesus’ Name
Project” along with Pastor Everett Robinson of the “The Will of God
Christian Center”. They are asking all local California pastors to
announce the event from the pulpit and for all members of the Body Of
Christ to pray for this vigil and possible landmark city council meeting.
The city council members and Mayor Larry D. Hansen of Lodi are concerned
about future lawsuits by atheist groups and wish to hear both sides of
the issue during the August 5th meeting before taking a vote.
For discussion: For those who are Christian, do you agree with Reverend
Kimbers’ decision to leave all Christian wording out of his prayer? Is
that denying the name of Christ?
Is it refreshing to hear a city council take the debate seriously, being
open to hear the majority, rather than choosing to go straight to
closed-door proceedings with their legal and political advisors as the
majority faith is silenced yet again?
If the Lodi City Council has a secular clause to begin with, shouldn’t
they merely cease the specific Christian wording during their meetings?
And perhaps even vote to overturn the statute and guidelines to include
open prayer without bias?