Noted Theologians Stand Together To Oppose Government Censorship Of Public Prayer

Liberty Institute Files Brief at the United States Supreme Court on Behalf of Christian Theologians and Scholars, including Dr. Daniel Akin, Dr. Darrell Bock, Dr. D.A. Carson, Dr. Stephen Evans, Dr. Wayne Grudem, Dr. James Hamilton, Dr. H. Wayne House, Dr. Peter Lillback, Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., and Michael Thigpen

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, on behalf of several distinguished Christian theologians and scholars, Liberty Institute filed a friend-of-the-court brief in animportant religious freedom case at the United States Supreme Court that will determine the future of prayers before legislative bodies such as city councils and school boards. The theologians seek to overturn the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit's ruling in the case of Galloway v. Town of Greece, which declared the New York town's legislative prayers unconstitutional because they were not religiously "neutral." A copy of the brief is available on the Liberty Institute website at: http://www.libertyinstitute.org/document.doc?id=96

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Liberty Institute represents Dr. Daniel Akin (President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary), Dr. Darrell L. Bock (Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary), Dr. D.A. Carson (Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and President of The Gospel Coalition), Dr. Stephen Evans (Professor at Baylor University), Dr. Wayne Grudem (Professor at Phoenix Seminary), Dr. James Hamilton (Associate Professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), Dr. H. Wayne House (Professor at Faith Evangelical College and Seminary), Dr. Peter A. Lillback (President of Westminster Theological Seminary), Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), and J. Michael Thigpen (Executive Director of the Evangelical Theological Society). 

Liberty Institute General Counsel Jeff Mateer said, "To protect religious liberty and freedom of conscience, the Court should reverse the decision in Galloway v. Town of Greece and reinforce the freedom to pray according to the dictates of conscience that is inherent in the Court's opinions in Marsh v. Chambers and Lee v. Weisman."

In Marsh v. Chambers, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the danger of judicial intrusion into prayer and declared, "The content of the prayer is not of concern to judges, where as in this case, there is no indication that the prayer opportunity has been exploited to proselytize or advance any one or to disparage any other faith or belief. That being so, it is not for us to embark on a sensitive evaluation or to parse the content of a particular prayer."

Mateer added, "Americans have every right under the Constitution to pray publically before governmental bodies in whichever way they so choose. Forcing any person—theologian, scholar, or any other private citizen—to censor his speech and dictating how he may or may not pray violates the First Amendment of the Constitution."

About Liberty Institute
Liberty Institute is a nonprofit legal group dedicated to restoring and defending religious liberty across America – in our schools, for our churches, and throughout the public arena. In 2011, Liberty Institute won a huge victory against the Department of Veterans Affairs for violating the First Amendment by requiring a pastor to pray in a "government-approved" manner at a Memorial Day event at the Houston National Cemetery. Liberty Institute's vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with the principles of our nation's founders. Visit www.LibertyInstitute.org for more information.

SOURCE Liberty Institute