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terpfan1980
terpfan1980
Join Date 08/2004
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Continued: Atheist takes inaugural complaint to high court

January 18, 2005 9:38:46 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
From The Washington Times (headline is link):

Atheist takes inaugural complaint to high court


By Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

A California atheist is taking his quest to block clergymen from publicly praying during President Bush's inauguration Thursday to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Michael Newdow, a lawyer from Sacramento, Calif., will file an appeal with the high court today seeking an injunction to thwart Mr. Bush's plans to have two pastors say prayers during his inauguration.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected Mr. Newdow's emergency request for an injunction late Friday, hours after a federal judge also denied his request.
"I expect [the Supreme Court will] deny that, too. But it's violating the Constitution," Mr. Newdow, 50, said yesterday. "They'll do it the same way, I expect. They'll just say, 'Denied.' "
U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates denied Mr. Newdow's request Friday, saying an injunction likely would not succeed. However, the judge did not dismiss the case, and asked Mr. Newdow and the president's attorneys to submit additional filings.
If the Supreme Court rejects his case, Mr. Newdow said, Judge Bates probably will dismiss his lawsuit in its entirety.
Mr. Newdow has argued in court that prayer by Christian ministers is akin to racial discrimination because it makes him, a staunch atheist, feel like an "outsider." He also contended that prayer at such a public event is a declaration that America is a "Christian nation."
He said it violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
During Mr. Bush's inauguration in 2001, the Rev. Franklin Graham and the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell said prayers. This year, the Rev. Luis Leon, pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church, where Mr. Bush worships when he is in Washington, will deliver an invocation. Mr. Caldwell will offer the benediction. Both clergymen were chosen by the president.
In rejecting Mr. Newdow's request, Judge Bates on Friday said that clergy-led prayer does not necessarily violate the Constitution and thats courts do not have power in most cases to order the president to "take an official act." The judge ruled that an injunction against clergy-led prayers would not serve the public interest and would disrupt a carefully planned inaugural ceremony.


... more at linked article

You know, if this guy could actually show me the real harm that would be inflicted upon him (or any other atheist) by having a prayer said, or by having these clergy-persons at the Inauguration, I might actually give him a break.

I guess he objects that other "ministers" (see earlier articles for notes on the idea that Mr. Newdow is an "ordained" minister of atheism), that actually get to say prayers at an Inauguration that he for some stupid reason wants to attend, will be there.

If he doesn't want to hear the prayers, I suggest he take his fingers outta his a-- and put them into his ears to plug them with.
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terpfan1980
whoman69
Join Date 10/2004
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Reply #1 January 18, 2005 11:00:51 PM
from PoliticalMachine ForumsPoliticalMachine Forums
Guy's an egomaniac. We have another one here who has run for mayor several times and not even gotten past the primaries, but he's going to outlaw cigarettes in this town. He goes to all the city council meetings and they had to change the rules about the public giving a brief statement beforehand because he abused the privilege. Like the energizer bunny, he keeps on going despite the fact that the only thing he has convinced anyone of is that to a man, they hate his guts.
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terpfan1980
terpfan1980
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #2 January 18, 2005 11:24:23 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
He goes to all the city council meetings and they had to change the rules about the public giving a brief statement beforehand because he abused the privilege.


The sad thing about guys like the one you mention, and Newdow as well, is just that - they abuse the priviledge/right to complain, and in turn cause others to lose those priviledges/rights, or at least cause others to have their valid complaints ignored.

If Newdow had a legitimate complaint, I might sympathize, but he's looking for exposure and nothing else.

I actually feel bad about even posting an article about him, because it does nothing but continue to give him exposure, but at the same time, I really don't want to miss the time that he's finally slapped down but good.
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terpfan1980
Dr Cynical
Join Date 12/2004
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Reply #3 January 18, 2005 11:26:04 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I agree with you 100%, I mean I just dont understand all this pressure from these so called Atheist's to stop prayer ANYWHERE whether it be public or private.ie, parochial scool.......public school so on. I am just waiitng to one day here about how because of the seperation of church and state that we should ban all churches and tell me this when our children arent learning to live morally and crime is rampant will these people finally be satisfied? I am NOT a devout Christian and in fact just tonight I sent an email to a friend with info on where to study Islm in the Far East so I dont have a thing against anyone who would like to live by a moral standard, ow can these people argue ANYTHING to the contrary, with all the suffering in the world I see this as such a self-centered act of angst and against what....or to whom. I wonder how he got along with his mother? lol This is Dr Cynical calling Dr Freud!
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terpfan1980
terpfan1980
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #4 January 18, 2005 11:28:23 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Oh, by the way, the guy you mention sounds a lot like Robin Ficker in the D.C. area. (Montgomery County, Maryland actually).

His claim to fame originally was "super heckler" for the Washington Bullets (later renamed to the Washington Wizards). He got himself in trouble for that plenty of times. Along the way he's run for office several times (never won), sponsored several county wide referendums on cutting taxes and holding down tax increases for the county, and other similar actions. Most people call him "kook" or similar. He was successful (I think) at least once in getting a tax cap referendum through, and that I guess is a good thing, but still....
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terpfan1980
Starstuff
Join Date 12/2004
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Reply #5 January 18, 2005 11:44:59 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Isn't Mr. Newdow interfearing with the Pres. free exercise thereof!!
It's his party & he can pray if he wants to.
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terpfan1980
Starstuff
Join Date 12/2004
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Reply #6 January 18, 2005 11:48:21 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
how because of the seperation of church and state that we should ban all churches and tell me this when our children arent learning to live morally and crime is rampant


To late already happening.
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