GODLESS WEDNESDAY: SCOTUS Case Challenges Public Prayer

The Supreme Court's new term will begin next Monday and one of the hotly watched cases is Greece v. Galloway, which is a dispute about the constitutionality of public Christian prayers at meetings of a local government.

Think Progress provides some background on the case:

Two town residents, after asking the board to change its practice several times, filed a lawsuit against the town board in 2008 because they were offended by the “town board’s alignment with Christianity through the board’s persistent presentation of Christian prayers.” The board, they argue in their complaint, “sends the message to non-Christians that they are unwelcome at Board meetings and that the Board does not represent non-Christians’ concerns.”

A district court upheld the town board’s practice, but on appeal, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a unanimous 2011 decision, said that the Greece town board’s prayer practice was unconstitutional. The town then appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case. Town of Greece v. Galloway will be argued before the Court November 6.

Since our nation’s beginning, our federal courts have played a crucial role in preserving the religious freedom of all Americans, which can only be done if the government does not favor religion over nonreligion or one belief over others. The outcome of Greece v. Galloway could determine whether religious liberty in the United States remains strong or is seriously limited.

The case of Greece v. Galloway is a perfect topic for this week's Godless Wednesday. MadProfessah, like others, will be following this case relatively closely this year.