separating church and state

[Demon Seed #three]

1. ¬?1 This case involves a constitutional challenge by Tom Snyder ("Snyder") to Murray City Corporation's ("Murray City")
refusal to allow Snyder to offer a prayer during the opening ceremony of Murray City's municipal council meeting.
Snyder appeals the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of Murray City. We reverse.

he text of Snyder's proposed opening prayer is as follows:

OUR MOTHER, who art in heaven (if, indeed there is a heaven and if there is a god that takes a woman's form)
hallowed be thy name, we ask for thy blessing for and guidance of those that will participate in this meeting and
for those mortals that govern the state of Utah;

We fervently ask that you guide the leaders of this city, Salt Lake County and the state of Utah so that they may see
the wisdom of separating church and state and so that they will never again perform demeaning religious ceremonies
as part of official government functions;

We pray that you prevent self-righteous politicians from mis-using the name of God in conducting government meetings;
and, that you lead them away from the hypocritical and blasphemous deception of the public, attempting to make the people
believe that bureaucrats' decisions and actions have thy stamp of approval if prayers are offered at the beginning of
government meetings;

We ask that you grant Utah's leaders and politicians enough courage and discernment to understand that religion is a private
matter between every individual and his or her deity; we beseech thee to educate government leaders that religious beliefs
should not be broadcast and revealed for the purpose of impressing others; we pray that you strike down those that mis-use
your name and those that cheapen the institution of prayer by using it for their own selfish political gains;

We ask that the people of the state of Utah will some day learn the wisdom of the separation of church and state; we ask that
you will teach the people of Utah that government should not participate in religion; we pray that you smite those government
officials that would attempt to censor or control prayers made by anyone to you or to any other of our gods;

We ask that you deliver us from the evil of forced religious worship now sought to be imposed upon the people of the state of
Utah by the actions of mis-guided, weak and stupid politicians, who abuse power in their own self-righteousness;

All of this we ask in thy name and in the name of thy son (if in fact you had a son that visited Earth) for the eternal betterment
of all of us who populate the great state of Utah.

Amen.

BACKGROUND

 ¬?2 Murray City has an established policy and practice of opening its city council meetings with a prayer.

 ¬?3 On March 23, 1994, Snyder made a written request for information from Murray City regarding the guidelines
or restrictions for giving the opening prayer. Having received no response, on May 9, 1994, Snyder once again inquired
about giving the opening prayer.

 ¬?4 On June 1, 1994, H. Craig Hall ("Hall"), the city attorney for Murray City, responded to Snyder that
"[t]he Municipal Council has not established formal policies regarding the nature and/or content of this
reverence portion of their agenda. However, the Council has established the policy that all council meetings
will start with prayer." Hall further explained that "[t]he purpose of the 'prayer' is to allow individuals that opportunity
to express thoughts, leave blessings, etc. It is not a time to express political views, attack city policies or practices
or mock city practices or policies."

[Horab Fibslager]

i used to be a fan of seperation of hrch and state, but now i reckon that when the state owns the intelectual property rights to the mind body and soul of the people, taxes will seem more like alms, and will theefore seem less liek a burden.

forward the holy tax collectors!

[Anonymous]

http://64.177.238.218/UtahAA/snyder.html

[chaosgraves:agentoferis]

It seems to me that If you are going to have guidlines you mention them before the prayer not after....

[Trollax]

¬?4 On June 1, 1994, H. Craig Hall ("Hall"), the city attorney for Murray City, responded to Snyder that
"[t]he Municipal Council has not established formal policies regarding the nature and/or content of this
reverence portion of their agenda. However, the Council has established the policy that all council meetings
will start with prayer." Hall further explained that "[t]he purpose of the 'prayer' is to allow individuals that opportunity
to express thoughts, leave blessings, etc. It is not a time to express political views, attack city policies or practices
or mock city practices or policies."

So if the purpose of the prayer is express thoughts and leave blessings I'm assuming that tjose thoughts and blessings have to be in accordance with the city's codex of FNORDs or "unwritten laws"