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February 10th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda - Town hall prayers banned in ‘assault on Britain’s Christian heritage’
- Judge rules tradition unlawful after he upholds discrimination complaint
- Government says it is ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the decision
- Prayers at Parliament and Forces chaplains could be next to be outlawed
By
Ian Drury
Last updated at 9:16 PM on 10th February 2012
A landmark legal ruling banning the tradition of saying prayers at council meetings was denounced last night as an ‘assault on Britain’s Christian heritage’.
The High Court controversially backed an anti-religious campaign to abolish official acts of worship.
Christians and politicians reacted with dismay after a judge overturned centuries of custom by outlawing a town hall in Devon from putting prayers on the formal agenda.
Victory: Former councillor Clive Bone, pictured outside the town council offices in Bideford, has won the legal battle to outlaw prayers at meetings
It prompted concern that it would
pave the way for Parliament to abandon prayers before Commons and Lords
business, mark the end of hospital and Forces chaplains, and could even
lead to the abolition of the Coronation Oath, pledged by Kings and
Queens taking the throne.
The ruling means prayers will not be
allowed at the start of council meetings across England and Wales,
though they may still be said before the official start.
It comes as two Christian BB owners who refused to let a gay couple share a room lost an appeal against a ruling they must pay thousands in compensation to the men.
The Court of Appeal told Peter and Hazelmary Bull that they were entitled to express their beliefs, but not if they were incompatible with the rights of gay people.
Atheist former councillor Clive Bone
started the case against Bideford town council in July 2010, claiming he
had been ‘disadvantaged and embarrassed’ when religious prayers were
recited at formal meetings.
Backed by the National Secular
Society, he insisted that the ‘inappropriate’ practice breached the
human right to freedom of conscience and discriminated against
non-believers, making them feel ‘uncomfortable’.
The society claimed council meetings
should be ‘equally welcoming to everyone in the local community’ and
should therefore be ‘religiously-neutral’.
High Court: Backed by the National Secular Society, Mr Bone insisted that the ‘inappropriate’ practice breached the human right to freedom of conscience and discriminated against non-believers
Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting in
London, rejected the human rights and equality challenges. But he ruled
that formal prayers at council meetings were unlawful because of a
technicality in the Local Government Act 1972.
He said local authorities had no
power to ‘say prayers or to have any period of quiet reflection as part
of the business of the council’. Acknowledging the widespread importance
of the case, Mr Justice Ouseley gave Bideford council permission to
appeal.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles described the ruling as ‘very illiberal’.
He said: ‘The ruling is surprising
and disappointing. Christianity plays an important part in the culture,
heritage and fabric of our nation.’
He vowed to override the High Court
ruling by bringing in the Government’s Localism Act, which would give
councils the power to hold prayers at the start of meetings, as early as
next Friday.
Sitting at the High Court, Mr Justice Ouseley, left, rejected the human rights argument but ruled prayers were unlawful because of a technicality in the Local Government Act. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, right, called the ruling ‘very illiberal’ and vowed to nix it through the Government’s Localism Act
Simon Calvert, of the Christian
Institute, said: ‘Prayers have been a part of council meetings for
centuries, and many people, either for religious reasons or cultural
reasons, see them as a positive part of our national life.
‘It’s a shame the courts have taken
sides with those whose goal is to undermine our Christian heritage. It
is high time Parliament put a stop to this assault upon our national
heritage.’
Harry Greenway, a former Tory MP and
ex-chairman of the National Prayer Breakfast, said: ‘If people do not
want to attend prayers of this nature, they can stay away instead of
meddling and busybodying with other people’s beliefs.
‘Non-believers are not harassed in
this way by believers. Why cannot the non-believers show the same kind
of tolerance?’
Mr Bone, who left Bideford council because of its
‘refusal to adjust’ its prayers policy, said: ‘I’m delighted. I’m not
surprised, I expected to win.
‘This has got nothing to do with
intolerance towards religion. Religious freedom is an absolute right and
so is freedom from religion an absolute right, in my view.’
Keith Porteous Wood of the National Secular Society said: ‘We’re very pleased with the judgment.’
Officials at Parliament said the 1689
Bill of Rights meant the Commons and Lords decided their own business,
so a legal challenge would fail.
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It’s simply not fair that although Christians may make up around 75% of the population, they have been getting 100% of the prayers in council chambers. They should be restricted to the 75% of prayers and allow the others to have their prayers too, including the Druids if desired. Atheists should also be allowed to have their say before a small percentage of council meetings.
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Absolutely ridiculous. I am not a Christian, but how can common sense prevail when this happens in a Christian country? Is this Human Right Law only applied and protects the minorities? Are the Judges applying this Law correctly? Is saying prayers actually hurting anybody? For such narrow minded people, they will find it difficult to have any internal peace anyway. What next, the removal of all religious symbols, buildings, etc? I can smell the reincarnation of Hilter. It is dangerous, like everything else, when some people are applying this Law to such extreme.
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This infuriates me beyond belief. I am an atheist and would hope I speak for the majority in saying that I have absolutely no objection to any prayer being said in any situation. What is wrong with some people in this country?! If you are an atheist or of other religion, then you simply don’t join in with the prayer. Is it that hard? I’m totally baffled by the thought processes of certain members of our society. Get a grip! 1,000 characters just isn’t enough for me to explain how much this whole pathetic saga really winds me up!
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One of the coments on here said “every school in the country has to hold a Christian assembly by law”. I go into a lot of schools as part of my job and I can assure you most of these schools do not have any Christian influence at all. I dread to think what our society will be like in a few years after these people have managed to de-christianise our country. Look around you what’s happening already.
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@deke of York. You Sir need to know the history of religion. Christmas is not Christian, it is Pagan, all about the end of the year. Christianity (under the Romans who were masters of it) hijacked the native festivals.
Excellent decision. I used to be a Councillor and would have been appalled at any religious ceremonies as part of council business.
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Has anyone heard of sticking two fingers up to all these unelected undemocratic judges and reclaiming this land for the people who actually live here.
Get out of the EU now.
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I wouldn’t describe myself as a Christian but this is appalling.
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lets all go back to paganism.
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Grint, Cheddar, England. Get some manners. Superior ability at spelling doesn’t make your argument superior. If you can’t spell you still deserve the chance to put your point across. Cheap shot. Shame on you.
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If atheists want to really make their point why don’t they give up having days off work at Christmas and Easter and demand that they are allowed to work. After all if they don’t subscribe to the Christian ethos why should they have time off for what are essentially traditional religious celebrations. Does Councillor Bone demand to go into the office on Good Friday or Christmas Day…. no I thought not. Maybe someone should ask him why.
– deke, yorks, 10/2/2012 21:09—————————–BRILLIANT comment!
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