National group stlll plans prayer before Aug. 5 council meeting

Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt still plans to be in Lodi on Aug. 5 even though the Lodi City Council has postponed its discussion on an invocation policy that night.

"I've already got my plane ticket. I already advertised the rally," the former Navy chaplain said.

The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened a lawsuit against the city in May. The foundation warned that the city must start enforcing its own policy requiring all prayers to be "non-sectarian and non-denominational."

Klingenschmitt founded the national organization Pray in Jesus Name Project, based out of Colorado Springs, Colo. He has advertised the meeting on his Web site and on Christian radio shows.

His group still plans to hold a prayer meeting with other local religious leaders at 6 p.m. on Aug. 5 on the steps of Carnegie Forum.

But the council has decided not to discuss prayer at that meeting.

The council was tentatively scheduled to discuss whether to change its policy at the meeting, but will instead focus on other city businesses, city spokesman Jeff Hood said.

"The discussion could really take a lot of time and push off things that are time-sensitive," Hood said.

The council needs to reserve the August meeting to vote on a contract with People Assisting Lodi Shelter to let the group take over the shelter's front-desk responsibilities, he said. City staff wanted to have this contract done in July, but it was pushed back because the council only had one meeting during that month. Eden Housing, a nonprofit that wants to build affordable senior housing on Tienda Drive, also needs the council to approve the city's "exclusive right to negotiate" with the nonprofit. The organization needs the council to vote on this because it is on a timeline for certain sources of funding.

The invocation issue is not time-sensitive, Hood said, because the city has already abided by the foundation's request to make sure religious leaders leave Jesus Christ out of its prayers.

Before the foundation sent the letter, the city would send a card informing potential religious leaders about the city's prayer policy. Now, a staff member in the city clerk's office is calling the leaders and asking them if they agree to abide by the city's policy. Only one leader has refused to come pray.

But Klingenschmitt said it is important to keep the name of Jesus Christ in the prayers before the council meetings, and he wants the council to know people will support them if they decide to fight it in court.

"It's possible that Lodi and Tracy may not be the first battleground, but the last battleground. Other cities have already gone to a moment of silence in California," he said. "If we don't win in Lodi and Tracy, it's possible the name of Jesus could become extinct in prayers across the state."Tracy also received a letter from the foundation asking them to institute a policy that would not allow religious leaders to say Jesus Christ during their prayer.

Klingenschmitt is happy to have the extra time to continue raising money to help pay for the city's legal expenses if the council decides to fight the foundation in court. He plans to raise $10,000, even though the Alliance Defense Fund has offered to have its lawyers work for the city pro bono. The national organization has a team of lawyers to defend public institutions from prayer-based litigation.

While the ADF has offered to defend the city, there still could be other expenses associated with litigation if the city lost, Klingenschmitt said. The $10,000 would be used to pay the Freedom From Religion Foundation's legal expenses if the city did lose so that would ensure no tax payers money would be used, he said.

Contact reporter Maggie Creamer at maggiec@lodinews.com or read her blog at www.lodinews.com/blog/citybuzz.

Reader Feedback

AntelopeCa wrote on Jul 23, 2009 4:54 PM:

" Pooreastside, you cant invoke the name of Jesus Christ at a Goverment sponsored event. I'm Christian but I'm getting tired of your brand of radical christianity where everything must believe in your belief system. I want everyones religion out of state government and keep it where I can worship any way I see fit outside of government. Pooreastside wants his brand of Christianity forced upon everyone else. I support FFRF in this effort. "

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momintum wrote on Jul 22, 2009 12:08 PM:

" If anything at all, religion is actually detrimental to patriotism from the standpoint of a divisive factor. Any brief examination of modern day or historical effect that religion has had on society in general has been a negative one. To mix religion and government together at any level is asking for trouble. As civilization continues in a secular march from superstitions and the accompanying ignorances toward a rational and logical state please allow these fantasies there closets so that progress need not be hindered by the imaginations of hysteria. Any review will show that the influences of sky-fairy theories lead only to dark ages where virtues are replaced by deities fabricated by manipulators without any basis other than emotional frenzy of the frightened and frantic nightmares of mental confusion. "

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weezer wrote on Jul 21, 2009 12:53 PM:

" And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. "

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Jenn H wrote on Jul 21, 2009 9:38 AM:

" Nobody can stop anybody from praying, so Jesus has never been removed from the schools, meetings, courts or any other location. People can pray silently any time they want. Imposing one's beliefs upon others is wrong, however. I hope that if the Lodi City Council doesn't enforce its own policy, the Wisconsin group does sue and stand up for religious freedom. "

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pooreastside wrote on Jul 21, 2009 8:08 AM:

" No, I am not a religious loon at all, but I honestly think taking Jesus Christ out of the schools, out of meetings, out of the court, etc. has made a total mess. Why don't these who have to fight prayer and peoples beliefs put their time to better use like fighting crime or fighting the idea of taking freedom of speech away from us. Can't say the name Jesus Christ, give me a break. "

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Mad Dog wrote on Jul 21, 2009 3:54 AM:

" It sounds like this is more about an excuse to raise and control money than it is about prayer. All the loons need to stay home. "

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National group stlll plans prayer before Aug. 5 council meeting

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