Redcardlibrarian writes “”SAN FRANCISCO – The Bush administration is siding with a Christian group in its lawsuit demanding rights to conduct prayer services at public libraries.
The case concerns a Contra Costa County policy allowing the public to use free meeting rooms at its libraries, but prohibits “religious services and activities.”
The Sierra Club, Narcotics Anonymous and even the East Contra Costa Democratic Club have utilized the county’s library facilities. The Faith Center Church Evangelistic Ministries, however, was denied access because of its religious preaching.
“Because the county refused to permit Faith Center to use the meeting rooms solely because of the religious perspective of the activities at its meetings, the county engaged in impermissible viewpoint discrimination,” the Justice Department wrote the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Monday.”
Alliance Defense Fund Tactics
The REAL STORY here isn’t the church wanting to use the library for its services, it is the fact that this is another effort by the Alliance Defense Fund. The ADF takes issues like this….church wants public space?…This looks like a job for the ALLIANCE DEFENSE fund–which works against the ACLU. ADF provided the money from their $15MILLION budget for the parents of Terri Schiavoc and they provided the funds to fight homosexuals in the Boy Scouts.
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More Here:
# ADF is a Christian legal firm established by more than 30 Christian ministries to help defend “family values†and work against the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).
# ADF defines itself by its ability to strategize and coordinate with lawyers all over the United States. Lawyers who sign up for their “Blackstone Legal Institute†are expected to donate 450 pro bono hours over a three year period.
# ADF has coordinated over 400 lawyers, over 125 right-wing organizations, and many conservative ministries on behalf of ADF-defined Christian legal issues.
# ADF has been involved with 16 “victories†before the Supreme Court, including such high profile cases as Boy Scouts of America v. Dale and Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network. ADF has had success in anti-gay cases all over the US, from Alaska to Massachusetts.
# ADF has linked over 125 groups to create a combined effort to fight issues and on behalf of their views. ADF has brought together attorneys and allied legal groups to help develop a national strategy on controversial social issues, for example it has worked to develop a national strategy to “protect marriage†across the United States after Vermont’s decision to legalize civil unions for gays and lesbians.
# In addition to organizing lawyers and ministries, ADF also trains and recruits and provides grants to support legal cases as well as pro-bono assistance.
# ADF also defends the right of Christians to “share the gospel†in workplaces and public schools, claiming that any efforts to curb proselytizing at work and school are anti-Christian.