In Jesus' Name': NC Officials Plan to Take Prayer Ban Battle to U.S. Supreme Court

A court-ordered ban on prayers that end "in Jesus' name?" It's now a reality for public officials in North Carolina.

On July 29, the state's Forsyth County Board of Commissioners was dealt a major blow. The 4th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, ruled against the county, granting favor to two county residents who claimed they were offended when they heard the words "in Jesus' name" prayed aloud during a board meeting. WXII-TV has more:

The 2-1 decision upheld a lower court ruling and was a victory for Janet Joyner and Constance Blackmon, who had sued following the December 2007 commission meeting before which a local religious leader prayed. The pastor thanked God for sending Jesus to die for the sins of mankind and concluded with "in Jesus' name." Beliefnet provides written responses from the justices:

“Legislative prayer must strive to be nondenominational so long as that is reasonably possible — it should send a signal of welcome rather than exclusion. It should not reject the tenets of other faiths in favor of just one,” Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III wrote in his ruling.

But, Judge Paul Niemeyer felt differently. Instead, he focused upon the fact that the county was open to adherents of any religious faith praying at meetings. Considering this fact, Forsyth County was not, in his view, wrong for allowing the prayer. He wrote:

“I respectfully submit that we must maintain a sacred respect of each religion, and when a group of citizens comes together, as does the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, and manifests that sacred respect — allowing the prayers of each to be spoken in the religion’s own voice — we must be glad to let it be.

Groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AUSCS) and the ACLU praised the court's ruling. The ADL called the decision "a clear victory for religious freedom." The ACLU, which joined AUSCS in representing the plaintiffs, included the following in a celebratory press release:

“We are pleased today for our clients and all religious minorities in Forsyth County who have felt shut out and alienated by their own government because of its public stance in favor of Christianity,” said ACLU-NCLF Legal Director Katherine Lewis Parker...

“No one should be treated as a religious outsider when attending local government meetings,” said Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program for Freedom of Religion and Belief. “Today's decision reinforces the basic idea that the government shouldn't play favorites with faith."

But, while the excitement coming from those who opposed the prayers is certainly elevated for the moment, the battle is far from over. According to Beliefnet, seven of the eight Forsyth County commissioners involved in the case say that they will accept an offer for representation from Christian attorneys.

The Alliance Defense Fund will handle their case, picking up all costs and seeking to take the debate all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The commissioners hope that the nation's high court will overturn the verdict, allowing the words "in Jesus' name" to be spoken once more at board meetings.

Religious freedom cases, especially those surrounding the inclusion of prayer at public meetings, will likely continue to emerge until solid legislative decisions have been made.

On Thursday, The Blaze also reported on a Texas County Clerk who was embroiled in a battle over prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.