PENSACOLA, Fla., Dec. 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- Trial testimony concluded this week in which Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) is seeking to intervene to overturn an ACLU court order that has already resulted in three school officials being charged with contempt. Liberty Counsel represents CEAI. Testimony revealed how this order has literally driven Christians to hide in closets to pray in order to avoid contempt charges.
In August, Liberty Counsel successfully defended Michelle Winkler, a clerical assistant, from contempt charges brought by the ACLU after her husband, who is not employed by the Santa Rosa County School District, offered a meal prayer at a privately sponsored event in a neighboring county. On Constitution Day, Liberty Counsel successfully defended Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman against criminal contempt charges, after the ACLU complained when Freeman offered a 15-second blessing for a lunch meal for about 20 adults with no students present.
During testimony, Michelle Winkler broke down on the witness stand when she described how a coworker sought comfort from her after losing her two-year-old child. The two hid behind a closet door to pray, for fear they would be seen and held in contempt of the court order. Denise Gibson, an elementary teacher for 20 years, testified the order forces her to tell parents she cannot respond if they talk about church or their faith. She may not even respond to an email from a parent if it contains a Scripture verse or "God bless you." Instead, the District requires her to open a separate email to respond rather than hit "reply," in order to eliminate any trace of religious language.
JMC Response
written by: Miranda Caverley
When we read of Christians hiding in closets and going into private places away from the watchful eye of the government or anyone that might come against them and arrest or put them on trial for praying or talking about God. We think of China, Russia, North Korea, and other Communist/Socialist countries that oppress the freedom of religion. But no, we are reading about The United States of America. Where it is written in the our own constitution that we have freedom of religion! WHERE IS THE FREEDOM, that our forefathers wrote into law that we have the right to?
Christians! Why do we keep allowing organization like the ACLU to trample on our freedoms and scare us into the closets and hiding places to talk about God and his wonderful Love? Why have Christians stopped standing up and NOT being ashamed of the Gospel like the prophets, the disciples, and especially Jesus the Son of God?
They didn’t care what man thought of them! They didn’t care that they were put into prison, or brought before high courts to be prosecuted! They rejoiced, and even in prison behind bars rejoiced! Like Paul and Silas while in prison they sang songs of praise to the Lord, and there came a massive earthquake and destroyed the prison and they were set free! When we obey the Lord he will make a way for us out of the bondage and persecution!
Like our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries that are in prison or being faced with death everyday for their faith. Keep going, keep sharing the good news of the Lord to all that will listen! Because this world and all the things on it will pass away, but God and his promises to us are ETERNAL! They never fade, rot, or break, unlike everything of this world they last forever!
Jesus even said (paraphrase) “if they persecute me, they will persecute you.” They hung Jesus on a Cross and killed him, do you think as a Christian you will not face some sort of persecution when our own Savior and everyone else that followed HIS teaching did? Jesus only taught to love one another, and follow HIS ways which our own founding fathers founded the United States of America on! They even said that these rights that they put in the U.S constitution were our “God Given Rights”. Then why don’t we fight for them?
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