“They want their day in court. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be a long day.”<\/a> As we’ve reported, we will file an amicus brief in this case, representing former NYC firefighter and first responder Tim Brown and others.
\n\u00a0<\/p>\nWhile we will continue to focus on shutting down the FFRF challenge at Ground Zero, let’s realize that the Texas decision represents an important victory for the First Amendment and another nail in the coffin for the flawed legal strategy employed by atheist groups.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A federal court in Texas did exactly what a federal appeals court did just three months ago. Shut down a legal challenge by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist group. \u00a0 A federal judge rejected FFRF’s lawsuit targeting the Day of Prayer in Texas scheduled for August 6th. The group went to court…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,141,22,66],"tags":[743,169,261,260,257,754,256,259,258,255,254,249,246],"class_list":["post-750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-11","category-first-amendment","category-prayer","category-u-s-constitution","tag-aclj","tag-american-atheists","tag-deny-preliminary-injunction","tag-dismiss-lawsuit","tag-freedom-from-religion-foundation","tag-ground-zero","tag-houston","tag-legal-standing","tag-new-york-times","tag-proclamation-for-day-of-prayer","tag-texas-governor-rick-perry","tag-world-trade-center-memorial-and-museum","tag-wtc-cross"],"yoast_head":"\n
Atheists Shutdown in TX: One Down, One to Go - Faith & Justice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/07\/atheists-shutdown-in-tx-one-down-one-to-go.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Atheists Shutdown in TX: One Down, One to Go - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A federal court in Texas did exactly what a federal appeals court did just three months ago. Shut down a legal challenge by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist group. \u00a0 A federal judge rejected FFRF’s lawsuit targeting the Day of Prayer in Texas scheduled for August 6th. 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He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. 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Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. 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<\/a>A federal judge rejected FFRF’s lawsuit<\/a> targeting the Day of Prayer in Texas scheduled for August 6th. The group went to court to try and block Texas Governor Rick Perry, who issued a prayer proclamation<\/a>, from participating in a prayer event scheduled for that day.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/240\/2011\/07\/916782911-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>