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From the Christian Post:
A county commissioner in Carroll County, Md., disobeyed a judge's recent injunction on Thursday when she opened an official budget meeting with a sectarian prayer, saying she'd rather go to jail than give up her First Amendment rights to freedom of religion.
Carroll County Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier opened Thursday's budget meeting by referencing the recent injunction granted by U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr., who earlier this week ruled that Carroll County commissioners are prohibited from using "the name of a specific deity associated with any specific faith or belief" during pre-meeting prayers. Quarles said in his ruling that the commission may now only say non-sectarian prayers.
The injunction was granted as several Carroll County residents, along with the American Humanist Association, proceed with a civil lawsuit against the county for its pre-meeting sectarian prayers, arguing that they are official "government speech" and therefore a violation of the Constitution's Establishment Clause.
Commissioner Frazier opened Thursday's meeting with a prayer she said was originally from U.S. President George Washington. Frazier, growing visibly emotional during her statement, said she'd rather go to jail than give up her First Amendment rights.
"I think that [the ruling] is an infringement on my First Amendment rights of free speech and free religion, and I think it's a wrong ruling," Frazier said. "I believe this is a fundamental of America and if we cease to believe that our rights come from God, we cease to be America.
"We've been told to be careful. But we're going to be careful all the way to communism if we don't start standing up and saying 'no.'"
"This might be a good opportunity to demonstrate how our Founding Fathers, and leaders all throughout our history, have upheld the idea that we are a nation based on biblical principles," Frazier continued. "We're one nation under God, and I believe that's where our inalienable rights come from."
The injunction was granted as several Carroll County residents, along with the American Humanist Association, proceed with a civil lawsuit against the county for its pre-meeting sectarian prayers, arguing that they are official "government speech" and therefore a violation of the Constitution's Establishment Clause.
Commissioner Frazier opened Thursday's meeting with a prayer she said was originally from U.S. President George Washington. Frazier, growing visibly emotional during her statement, said she'd rather go to jail than give up her First Amendment rights.
"I think that [the ruling] is an infringement on my First Amendment rights of free speech and free religion, and I think it's a wrong ruling," Frazier said. "I believe this is a fundamental of America and if we cease to believe that our rights come from God, we cease to be America.
"We've been told to be careful. But we're going to be careful all the way to communism if we don't start standing up and saying 'no.'"
"This might be a good opportunity to demonstrate how our Founding Fathers, and leaders all throughout our history, have upheld the idea that we are a nation based on biblical principles," Frazier continued. "We're one nation under God, and I believe that's where our inalienable rights come from."
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