indago
05-06-2016, 06:52 AM
Journalist Bryna Godar wrote for The Associated Press 5 May 2016:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Wisconsin group that advocates for the separation of church and state sued Congress on Thursday after its co-president was barred from giving an opening invocation before the U.S. House. The lawsuit alleges that House Chaplain Patrick Conroy rejected an application from Dan Barker, co-president of the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, to deliver a secular guest invocation in January.
...According to the complaint, less than 3 percent of House invocations have been delivered by Jews in the last 15 years, and less than half of a percent by Muslims or Hindus. No atheist or agnostic invocations have been given, according to the complaint. ..."There is nothing inherent in atheism, Jainism, Rastafarianism, Buddhism, or any minority religion known to the plaintiffs that would prohibit their leaders from performing the duties of the guest chaplain," the lawsuits states.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
article (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_INVOCATION_LAWSUIT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-05-18-02-51)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Wisconsin group that advocates for the separation of church and state sued Congress on Thursday after its co-president was barred from giving an opening invocation before the U.S. House. The lawsuit alleges that House Chaplain Patrick Conroy rejected an application from Dan Barker, co-president of the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, to deliver a secular guest invocation in January.
...According to the complaint, less than 3 percent of House invocations have been delivered by Jews in the last 15 years, and less than half of a percent by Muslims or Hindus. No atheist or agnostic invocations have been given, according to the complaint. ..."There is nothing inherent in atheism, Jainism, Rastafarianism, Buddhism, or any minority religion known to the plaintiffs that would prohibit their leaders from performing the duties of the guest chaplain," the lawsuits states.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
article (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_INVOCATION_LAWSUIT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-05-18-02-51)