Atheists force changes to National Day of Prayer in Palmetto

The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a national atheist organization, has complained to the city of Palmetto for its involvement in the National Day of Prayer. The FFRF wants the city to stop using its website to advertise the event and for elected officials to not appear in an official capacity.

“Our concern is to make sure they are obeying all the rules,” said FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel. “There’s nothing to say that a private organization can’t go into a public park to have a religious service so long as they pay the fee like anyone else and there is no special treatment.”

As a result, the event next May may be moved from Sutton Park to another location.

FFRF is active across the country in monitoring local governments once a complaint has been filed and Seidel said there is a local group of residents who brought their concerns forward.

“We always keep an eye on these things,” Seidel said. “It’s very easy to cross the line. I don’t want to make it seem like people are doing it on purpose because very often they aren’t. Where it gets confusing is that if you are a public official, you can’t use your office, title or resources to promote a religious event. If they want to go, they are free to go as a private citizen, but it’s a line we often see crossed.”

PalmettoBUILD is the organizer of the National Day of Prayer in Palmetto, which is typically held at Sutton Park.

“Our hope and desire is to continue to do it at Sutton Park,” said Jim Corbett, of PalmettoBUILD, an organization that focuses on marriage and family spiritual health. “I was aware of some concerns, but I didn’t think it had gotten to this level. But we’re not part of the government. We are just Palmetto residents and I believe we have our rights.”

Corbett said PalmettoBUILD also organizes the speakers who lead the crowd in prayer.

“I appreciate people of all faiths and appreciate that there are people who don’t believe, but that doesn’t mean those of us that do, shouldn’t be able to exercise our rights in our community. They are free to come or not come.”

The city has indicated the event will be moved from Sutton Park to avoid any complications, but Seidel said the FFRF is satisfied that the city will comply with the demands and not actively participate. To continue to do so, he said, would be a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government from endorsing, advancing or promoting religion.

As long as the city stops using its website to advertise the event and elected officials don’t attend as public officials, then Seidel said there is nothing the FFRF can do to stop the event from taking place on city property, as long as the government is not involved. But they will be watching, he said.

“Local people reported this to us and they’ll be the ones who continue to monitor this situation and report back to us,” Seidel said.

Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant consulted with city attorney Mark Barnebe,y who advised that the city comply with the demands.

“I just have to make sure anything I do to help is not on the city’s time or on city property,” Bryant said. “But I am entitled to a life and I will be speaking at the next National Day of Prayer,” which is May 2, 2019.

In a letter to the city dated in May of 2017, Seidel said the National Day of Prayer “alienates non-Christians in Palmetto by turning them into political outsiders in their community.”

According to the National Day of Prayer Task Force, which works to encourage local governments to deliver annual proclamations, the event is not limited to Christianity. However, they say, “The efforts of the NDP Task Force are executed specifically in accordance with its Judeo-Christian beliefs,” according to its website.

It goes on to say, “This government-proclaimed day is offered to all Americans to turn to God in prayer and meditation, churches, in groups, as individuals,” but emphatically denies the National Day of Prayer is solely for Christians.

Though representative of many denominations and religions tend to speak and pray at local events, Seidel said it is inherently clear that the event is geared toward Christianity and isolates other religions, as well as the non-religious.

“It absolutely promotes Christianity,” Seidel said. “I don’t think there is any doubt about that. They are always picking Bible verses to organize the day around. It’s very clearly meant to promote Christianity.”

Though the National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 with a joint resolution in Congress, and proclaimed by every president since Harry Truman signed it into law, Seidel is of the opinion that local governments do not have that same authority. FFRF consistently challenges municipalities when proclamations are made..

The FFRF, working in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union, swayed the city of Kissimmee to rescind their National Day of Proclamation. However, FFRF has been defeated in lengthy court battles both at the state and federal levels when attempting to stop proclamations.

In one ruling, a federal judge dismissed the FFRF case against the Arizona governor from issuing a National Day of Prayer proclamation by noting, “Hurt feelings don’t give someone standing to bring a federal case.”

Though FFRF has suffered some legal losses, Seidel said it’s only due to a technicality.

“The only court that ever looked at it declared it’s unconstitutional,” he said. “When it went to the appeals court, the court ruled that nobody has the ability to challenge that law in court. But the law only authorizes the president to issue a proclamation, not local government. And as I said, every government official is free to attend, but when acting as a government official, that flips because in an official capacity, you are bound by the Constitution and bound by the Establishment Clause.”

The Manatee County Ministerial Association organizes the annual National Day of Prayer at the Manatee County Courthouse. The organizers could not immediately be reached to determine if that event was contacted for any reason as well.

This story was originally published September 7, 2018 at 2:00 PM.