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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 on Monday night to appeal a judge's ruling that bans deity-specific prayer before meetings.
As expected, the deciding vote was cast by Chairman Dave Plyler, who earlier Monday had said he was waiting to see if the money pledged to help the county fight the ruling would come through.
Last month, a judge ruled in favor of the ACLU, which had filed a lawsuit claiming prayers that mention Jesus or other specific deities before a government meeting were unconstitutional.
For Plyler to cast his vote in favor of appealing the ruling would require "a signature from a party who will pay the bill," he said earlier in the day, estimating the bill could reach nearly a million dollars.
Several pastors are raising money to help the county fight the ruling if the commissioners choose to appeal. The North Carolina Partnership for Religious Liberty pledged at least $300,000 from individual donors to help challenge the ruling, which they believe infringes on religious liberty.
"At the heart of this issue is religious liberty. What we have is a situation where a federal court has now instructed a clergy how to pray," said Dr. Steve Corts with the partnership. "As soon as the court begins to tell us how to pray our faith, it won't be too long before they are telling us how to practice and think our faith. It's a dangerous, dangerous precedent. That's why people are so worked up."
Others say the issue is about spending taxpayers' money on a religious agenda and being inclusive at government meetings.
Last week, Commissioner Walter Marshall stirred the debate when he said in a radio interview that people pushing for the right to pray before meetings are the same people who were opposed to desegregation. Marshall said he was talking about the Christian Right, and particularly southern evangelical Baptists, and how their push to keep prayer before meetings stems from a history of majority bullying and racism.
Supporters of prayer before public meetings turned out in droves for the meeting. Shortly before the scheduled 6 p.m. meeting time, a crowd of approximately 500 people, including many church groups, had gathered outside the Forsyth County Government Center.
The sheriff's office brought extra staff in to direct traffic and opened extra rooms to accommodate overflow crowds.
As expected, the deciding vote was cast by Chairman Dave Plyler, who earlier Monday had said he was waiting to see if the money pledged to help the county fight the ruling would come through.
Last month, a judge ruled in favor of the ACLU, which had filed a lawsuit claiming prayers that mention Jesus or other specific deities before a government meeting were unconstitutional.
For Plyler to cast his vote in favor of appealing the ruling would require "a signature from a party who will pay the bill," he said earlier in the day, estimating the bill could reach nearly a million dollars.
Several pastors are raising money to help the county fight the ruling if the commissioners choose to appeal. The North Carolina Partnership for Religious Liberty pledged at least $300,000 from individual donors to help challenge the ruling, which they believe infringes on religious liberty.
"At the heart of this issue is religious liberty. What we have is a situation where a federal court has now instructed a clergy how to pray," said Dr. Steve Corts with the partnership. "As soon as the court begins to tell us how to pray our faith, it won't be too long before they are telling us how to practice and think our faith. It's a dangerous, dangerous precedent. That's why people are so worked up."
Others say the issue is about spending taxpayers' money on a religious agenda and being inclusive at government meetings.
Last week, Commissioner Walter Marshall stirred the debate when he said in a radio interview that people pushing for the right to pray before meetings are the same people who were opposed to desegregation. Marshall said he was talking about the Christian Right, and particularly southern evangelical Baptists, and how their push to keep prayer before meetings stems from a history of majority bullying and racism.
Supporters of prayer before public meetings turned out in droves for the meeting. Shortly before the scheduled 6 p.m. meeting time, a crowd of approximately 500 people, including many church groups, had gathered outside the Forsyth County Government Center.
The sheriff's office brought extra staff in to direct traffic and opened extra rooms to accommodate overflow crowds.
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