Church and State Issues in My Town

While reading my local newspaper, I noticed three articles related to the separation of church and state...or rather the violation thereof.

In the first article, it reported how all City Council meetings have been traditionally opened with a specifically Christian prayer. In the wake of an appeals court decision prohibiting sectarian prayer before public meetings, the mayor got a letter from the local ACLU asking them to comply with the new ruling.

The council voted unanimously to adopt a written policy that continues the body’s practice offering an invocation and allows a council member to choose not to pray.

The mayor said he would resign his office if he were prevented by law from invoking the name of Jesus in a prayer before a council meeting.

While most residents attending the meeting stood in support of the council’s decision, one woman said she would prefer a moment of silence.
"That would make everybody happy," she said.
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One of the county school districts has stopped open prayer and the distribution of Gideon Bibles to fifth-graders, and the actions have prompted a community outcry.

District officials have said "moments of silence" are allowed on campus during school hours by law, but prayers led by school staff are not.

Naturally, all the fundies in the district have come out of the woodwork to protest this decision, saying that if some students were offended or felt excluded by any prayers that they could step into the hall during such sessions. They asserted that the religious freedom of children who have Christian beliefs are being denied when they cannot pray openly on campus.

The district reiterated that public school employees are prohibited by law from encouraging or discouraging prayer among students and from actively participating in such activities with students.

Students may organize prayer groups or other religious clubs or activities before or after school — or during non-instructional time during the school day — to the same extent that student may organize non-religious activities or groups.

Doesn't sound like Christian kids "can't pray" to me.
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My readers might remember an entry from several months ago when I reported the opening of a sex toys/novelties store in my town. Protest followed from local fundamentalist groups and a campaign was started to change the city zoning laws to either prohibit such businesses or make it more difficult to operate within city limits.

Responding to pressure from these groups, the city council recently voted 7-1 for new zoning laws that will make it more difficult for sexually oriented businesses to operate.

Existing sexually oriented businesses in the city limits now have one year to relocate or be forced to move if they do not comply with the new zoning law. Sexually oriented businesses may locate in industrial zoned areas, but they must also maintain a 1,000-foot buffer from each other and keep 500 feet away from schools, day cares operations, places of worship, parks or homes.
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Fundies 2 -- Secularists 1

I guess that's better than a total fundie victory, though.

Thoughts?