A Prayer Controversy in City Hall
Mayor Jim Fouts of Warren, Mich., recently denied an atheist's request to set up a "Reason Station" next to the "Prayer Station" in City Hall, saying the display would be disruptive.
When Douglas Marshall, a resident of Warren and a member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation [FFRF], learned that a "Prayer Station" had been set up in the atrium in City Hall, he applied to have a "Reason Station" set up next to the "Prayer Station" for one year, beginning May 1. The "Reason Station" would have reportedly included literature from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and a sign quoting Thomas Jefferson that read: "Question with boldness even the existence of God."
Marshall received a letter from Warren Mayor Jim Fouts, who told the FFRF member that because atheism is not defined as a religion, it is not protected under the First Amendment.
