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An anti-religion group is protesting prayers and the promotion of prayer by public officials even as America battled a pandemic that has devastated the economy and saddled future generations with trillions more in debt while taking more than 70,000 lives to date.
But the American Center for Law and Justice is fighting back.
“It’s quite frankly despicable,” the organization said in an online report. “To use the COVID-19 pandemic to seek to attack public officials who are offering support and prayer for their constituents facing an unprecedented health crisis, should be unthinkable. But it is happening right now.”
The organization noted the Freedom From Religion Foundation has “always sent out threatening, and oftentimes rather unprofessional, letters to scare individuals and silence their religious speech.”
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“They are at it again, but this time FFRF is attacking local officials who are simply trying to support their citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The ACLJ said it has heard from public officials in the past month who have received threatening letters “because they offered prayer or provided support programs meant to aid those hurting in our country.”
Further, FFRF has bragged about its activities publicly.
The group asked for help “condemning” the religious “pandering” of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice when he designated a day of prayer for his state.
The governor said, “If there’s any time, now’s the time we need to be looking to God above for assistance in any and every way we possibly can.”
FFRF said it sent a complaint to the governor and wanted constituents to make certain “our lawmakers are not exploiting this opportunity to promote their personal religion.”
“To FFRF somehow offering prayer for those suffering from this pandemic is now a constitutional crisis,” ACLJ said.
FFRF has already lost several court cases, said ACLJ, pointing out American leaders have called for national prayer since the founding. Thomas Jefferson declared such observances in the 1700s and George Washington began a series of presidential prayer proclamations that continue to this day.
The Supreme Court, ACLJ said, has argued “our history is replete with official references to the value and invocation of Divine guidance in deliberations and pronouncements of the Founding Fathers and contemporary leaders.”
The legal team said the attacks still are happening because “they want to kick us, and the good natured leaders of our country, when we are down.”
“Prayer and expressions of faith are not only constitutional, they are crucial during this pandemic,” ACLJ said.
