ACLJ Victorious Over Atheists In Texas
By Gina Miller
DakotaVoice.com
It is really nice to see a bit of good news among all the wretched stories of communist treachery in Washington and across the nation. This past Friday, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) succeeded in beating back the atheist group, Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), in its efforts to prevent Governor Rick Perry from taking part in the Day of Prayer in Texas.
As the ACLJ’s Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow reported,
“A federal court in Texas did exactly what a federal appeals court did just three months ago. Shut down a flawed legal challenge by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist group.
The federal judge rejected FFRF’s lawsuit targeting the Day of Prayer in Texas scheduled for August 6th. The group went to court to try and block Texas Governor Rick Perry, who issued a prayer proclamation, from participating in a prayer event scheduled for that day.
The court did exactly what we had hoped it would. Reject the motion for a preliminary injunction and dismiss the lawsuit.
The decision came on the day we filed our amicus brief in the case – urging the judge to reject a motion for a preliminary injunction (which he did) and dismiss the lawsuit (which he did).
In our friend-of-the-court brief filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division we argued that FFRF lacked legal standing in this case and noted that ‘claims of injury amount to nothing more than being offended by Governor Perry’s statements.’
We also rejected assertions that Governor Perry’s call for Texans and other Americans to pray violates the Establishment Clause. We argued the suit was without merit and was inconsistent with Supreme Court precedent as well as the long history of official government acknowledgement of religion in American life – specifically with the long history in this nation of legislators and executive officials calling this nation’s people to prayer.”
This is really fine news. I don’t know about you, but I have had it with these senseless atheist groups running around looking to eradicate Christian crosses, Ten Commandments displays, and prayer in public places, because they are “offended.” In America, there is no such thing as the right to not be offended. It is ridiculous that these people so despise the God of all creation and His Word that they would devote their lives to waging war against Him and His followers. We would think they should have better things to do, but that is not the case. It’s their crusade, and they’re sticking to it.
The fact is that the forces of evil will never sleep, and they will never cease making war against God and His chosen people, until the Lord returns, that is; then, Jesus will put the Big Smackdown on the forces of darkness and their human foot soldiers.
As Christians, we will always be the target of the hell-born rath of Satan’s human minions. The Lord gave us ample warning of this during his earthly ministry. One example is in John 15:18-25 where Jesus said,
“18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’[b]”
As Christians we expect these kinds of attacks, but it is still quite wearisome, and as humans, weak in our flesh, it is difficult to not despise these foolish people who hate the Lord and aggressively fight to remove Him from our society, but we must remember that the Lord died for them, too (and was raised from dead), and as long as they live, they could still come to the saving knowledge of Jesus through Whom we are reconciled to God.
In fact, Jesus tells us to rejoice in this kind of persecution. As He says in Matthew 5:10-12,
“10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Those are plain and simple words, but they are not easy words. Our human nature rebels against being unjustly attacked by others. The very last thing we tend to want to do when attacked for belonging to Jesus is to be thankful and rejoice and to bless those who are attacking us, but that is precisely what Jesus calls us to do.
The members of the ACLJ are standing up for Jesus in the public square. They are defending those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. In the Texas prayer case, as in most cases atheists make, the claims of the atheists are utterly absurd. I love the way the ACLJ simply and efficiently deconstructed the FFRF’s bogus arguments. Part of the ACLJ’s amicus brief stated,
“Texas Governor Rick Perry has called on Texans and all Americans to pray and fast on August 6, 2011. He has also invited Americans to join him on that date at a prayer rally in Houston to turn to God and Jesus Christ for forgiveness and guidance.
I. Plaintiffs’ Allegations of Injury are not Sufficient to Demonstrate They Have Standing.
Governor Perry’s call is a request, not a command. Plaintiffs do not, and cannot, allege that Governor Perry’s statements calling people to pray and fast harm them in any tangible way. Governor Perry’s statements require nobody to pray or fast and impose no penalty for failing to pray or fast (as if imposing such a penalty were even possible). Governor Perry’s statements do not require anybody to accept the tenets of Christianity or any other religion, or to worship in any particular way, or at all. Plaintiffs remain free to believe or not to believe as they wish, to express their disagreement with the religious views expressed in Governor Perry’s statements, and even to ridicule those views. They are free to vote for candidates to public office who oppose Governor Perry’s views. In short, Governor Perry’s statements in no way affect plaintiffs’ standing in this political community—their rights to vote, to speak, and to refrain from practicing religion as they see fit, are the same now as they were before Governor Perry’s statements.
Plaintiffs allege in essence that they are injured because they disagree with Governor Perry’s actions, that they are offended by those actions, and that they are made to feel like outsiders because they do not believe prayer can solve our nation’s problems. Those allegations are not sufficient to support standing under the Supreme Court’s standing jurisprudence.”
Not to sound overly intellectual here, but—DUH! We see this over and over again—atheists launching court battles because they are “offended,” and they attempt to argue that the sight of a cross or the sound of a Christian prayer somehow “hurts” them. Give me a break. Even a sharp-witted 5-year-old could see through the fallacy of that argument. The sickening thing is that those preposterous legal challenges often succeed in the courts of liberal, anti-Christian judges, and that’s what makes this victory a precious one.
Oh, you can be certain that the FFRF will appeal this decision, and they will continue their anti-Christian crusade with a feverish passion which is a great deal like religious zeal.
As Mr. Sekulow reported on Friday, this victory is one of two battles launched by atheists which the ACLJ is currently fighting. Next up may be a harder one, because it is being undertaken in New York. As Mr. Sekulow wrote,
“FFRF says it may appeal the decision in Texas. If so, we’ll file an amicus brief challenging the appeal.
But for now, one down, one to go.
That’s right. Next stop – urging a federal court in New York City to reject a lawsuit brought by another atheist group, American Atheists.
We’ve been writing about it all week – a legal challenge to the World Trade Center cross at the new museum at Ground Zero. That group is offended by the sight of the cross. Actually, they claim both emotional and physical injury from this cross, a ridiculous argument, as noted by David French. As I told the New York Times: They want their day in court. I don’t think it’s going to be a long day.
As we’ve reported, we will file an amicus brief in this case, representing former NYC firefighter and first responder Tim Brown and others.
While we will continue to focus on shutting down the [atheist] challenge at Ground Zero, let’s realize that the Texas decision represents an important victory for the First Amendment and another nail in the coffin for the flawed legal strategy employed by atheist groups.”
Amen to that! The fact is that atheists have no legitimate argument. There is nothing but senselessness in their hate-fueled attempts to eradicate any vestige of the Lord from our nation.
On the surface, it seems irrational that militant atheists would go to these ridiculous lengths to fight Christianity, but it makes perfect sense when you understand that behind their actions are the spiritual forces of evil. Satan and his demonic hoards are deeply involved in influencing and possessing people who allow them in. Satan despises the Lord and the Lord’s people, and he will stop at nothing to destroy all that is of the Lord; so naturally, people under his sway will do his bidding, and do it with the most fervent fanaticism they can muster.
I congratulate the members of the ACLJ on another job well done. Let us continue to pray for them and others who are on the legal front lines of this battle between darkness and light. Let us support them financially as we are able, since they are a non-profit organization, and they rely on our generosity to do their vital work.
May God bless America, and let freedom ring!
Gina Miller, a native of Texas, is a radio commentator. She also works with her husband installing and repairing residential irrigation systems and doing landscaping on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.