Cynthia Simpson Loses

And so do we.

Cynthia Simpson is the Wiccan who petitioned the governmental leaders in Virginia who were opening the governmental sessions with a prayer to Jesus -- she said if they were going to open with prayers to Jesus, they ought to give her a turn, and let her open the sessions with a prayer to her creator once in a while. They refused, of course. She sued, and won. They appealed. They won. She appealed, all the way to SCOTUS. And they have refused to hear the case.

Why?

Well, the county has changed its policy, now, for one thing: now it's taken Jesus out of the prayer, and just prays to God. And, now, it lets Jews and Muslims have a shot at the prayer. But still no nasty Wiccans. Or Buddhists. Or Hindus. Or whatnot.

The county "issues invitations to deliver prayers to all Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders in the country. It refuses to issue invitations to Native Americans, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Wiccans, or members of any other religion," justices were told in her appeal by American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Rebecca Glenberg.

The county's attorney, Steven Micas, said that the county's practice was in line with the Supreme Court's endorsement of legislative prayer as long as it did not proselytize, advance or disparage a particular religion.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051011/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_prayer_lawsuit

I'm just puzzled about how anyone could believe that offering a prayer to any God or religion at a state function can be read in any other way than as the state advancing that religion.

Do these people really think we're that stupid?

Or are they that stupid?

The state has no business messing around in religion. Period. What's so tough about that one?

(Via Ded Space: http://dedspace.blogspot.com/)