Right to Pray in the Name of Jesus Restored in North Carolina

ADF Staff : Nov 21, 2014
Alliance Defending Freedom/Charisma News

"All Americans should have the liberty to pray without being censored."

A federal district court lifted its order against the prayer policy of Forsyth County, North Carolina, Thursday in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision affirming prayer before public meetings in Town of Greece v. Galloway. (Photo via Charisma News)

After winning that lawsuit in May, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Forsyth County asked the district court to lift its order against the county's prayer policy. The order required the county to censor the way people pray to ensure only generic prayers are offered at public meetings.

"All Americans should have the liberty to pray without being censored, just as the Supreme Court found only a few months ago, and we are delighted to see this freedom restored in Forsyth County," said ADF Senior Counsel Brett Harvey. "The Supreme Court affirmed the freedom of Americans to pray according to their consciences before public meetings. For that reason, the district court was right to lift its previous order against Forsyth County's prayer policy, which is clearly constitutional."

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina's order in Joyner v. Forsyth County in 2011. Although the Supreme Court declined to review the case, it upheld a similar policy from the town of Greece, New York, on May 5 and affirmed that Americans are free to pray according to their own beliefs at public meetings. That cleared the way for uncensored prayers to resume in Forsyth County.

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