Prayer Ban
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, August 29, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
“God’s Rescue Squad” was the theme of Vacation Bible School at Bible Baptist Church in Charthage, Missouri, and on Monday, paramedics came to the church to speak to the kids. On Tuesday firefighters came, and lawmen with their K-9 dogs came on Wednesday, but the group scheduled for Thursday didn’t come.
The Missouri National Guard never showed up! Pastor Kent Hogan told Fox News that they wanted to thank the soldiers for protecting religious liberty, but they didn’t know “it was against military policy for National Guard troops to participate in Vacation Bible School.”
One soldier said, “[There were] a lot of disappointed kiddos because of the National Guard being unwilling to allow a Humvee and a few soldiers to spend an hour at a Baptist church. It makes me wonder what I’m actually fighting for.” The article concluded with this: “Interestingly enough, just this past June, the U.S. Department of Defense allowed an American military color guard to march in Washington, D.C.’s annual gay pride parade.”
In Georgia, some shoppers can’t pray in the mall, not even over their meals. That jolted the Dublin Girls Run, the name several women in Dublin gave their group because they combine good ole Southern fellowship with physical fitness. They might run road races dressed up like Chick-fil-A cows or super heroes, and they always begin and end their runs with prayer … but they won’t be going back to the mall, unless that new prayer ban is lifted.
A few weeks ago, the Dublin Girls met at the mall for an evening power walk. They formed a small circle and bowed their heads for prayer. But before they could pray, a security guard ran up and said, “You are not allowed to pray at the mall. That’s against the policy!” Thinking he was mistaken, the Girls asked for the manager, who verified the ban, saying the mall is private property.
Dublin’s Tammy Brantley, co-founder of the Dublin Girls Run, asked the manager, “Sir, are you saying that people who eat in the food court can’t bow their heads and pray?” Relating the incident for the newspaper she quoted the manager’s response, “He said, ‘No ma’am.’ That’s exactly what he said.” Then she added, “It’s really heartbreaking. Who would have thought something like this could happen in the teeny-tiny town we live in?”
Multiculturalism demands tolerance for other religions, but often bans public practice of Christianity, even in a small town in a section of the U.S. historically known as “the Bible Belt.” For now, worship of created gods is accepted, but worship of God the Creator is targeted for extinction. Soon, victorious Christians will be asking, “How’s that working out for you?” For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.