Tennessee

City officials of a Tennessee town restored the traditional Christmas story reading at its holiday celebration this year.

After a year of silence, residents of Maryville will once again hear the Bible reading of Jesus’ birth at its annual Christmas tree lighting in December. The reading, a 22-year-old tradition in Blount County, was cut last year due to legal concerns.

“We congratulate the city for returning the reading of the Christmas story to its celebration. It is sad when government official[s] censor the essence of Christmas based on misguided opinions of the Constitution,” remarked Liberty Counsel, a Christian litigation and policy organization, in a statement Thursday. more >>

A Tennessee court ruled that county officials did not act illegally when it approved the construction of a mosque and Islamic center.

Rutherford County Chancellor Robert Corlew said he could not find sufficient evidence that county officials acted illegally despite community allegations that Tennessee’s open meetings law was violated.

The decision on Wednesday means the construction of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is free to proceed despite community concerns. more >>

Tennessee residents expressed their fears of Islamic law during a legal dispute to approve to building plans for a local mosque.

Rutherford County residents sounded off about the dangers of Islamic law in a court hearing Thursday, disputing the Rutherford County officials’ approval of a Murfreesboro mosque’s expansion plans. According to The Associated Press, the residents’ attorney, Joe Brandon, Jr. associated Sharia with terrorism, asking a witness, “Do you want to know about a direct connection between the Islamic Center and Shariah law, a.k.a. terrorism?”

The plaintiffs called on Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy to testify about the part Islamic law plays in terrorism. Gaffney, though acknowledging he is not expert, testified that Sharia poses a threat to America. more >>

With more than half of the vote, Oklahoma voters overwhelming approved a state amendment banning state judges from consulting Islamic law in deciding cases.

State Referendum Question 755, asking Oklahoma residents to amend Article 7 of the state’s constitution to forbid the state’s courts from using or even considering Sharia law when ruling in a legal proceeding, passed with 70 percent of the vote, aides said.

Former Republican state Rep. Rex Duncan, the referendum’s sponsor, praised the amendment’s adoption as a preemptive strike against what he calls “activist judges.” more >>

Tennessee athletes, students and community members have been rallying together in prayer despite the efforts of Freedom from Religion Foundation and the Hamilton County superintendent to shut down prayer before football games and during graduation.

Soddy Daisy High School students and a crowd of community members met in Veteran’s Park Wednesday to pray about recent orders to eliminate prayer at school functions.

“We should have the right to be able to pray. It’s a freedom of religion, freedom of speech. I mean its jus wrong,” Senior Kayla Woolford told news crew present at the rally. more >>

Tennessee schools have agreed to stop broadcasting prayers before football games and during graduation ceremonies after atheist organization Freedom From Religion Foundation complained to the district.

Hamilton County Superintendent Jim Scales told all county principals that prayer at school events are unconstitutional after receiving a letter from the FFR last week denouncing loud speaker prayers at school events. Soddy-Daisy High School of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., was chiefly responsible for the FFRF complaint, which argued that prayer in public schools constituted government endorsement of religion.

Praising the move, FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor commented, “It’s settled law by the [U.S.] Supreme Court that there may not be prayer in public schools – at graduation, in classrooms or during sports events. We’re pleased that this appears to be resolved.” more >>