Chicago revises 9-11 ceremony after AU protest. (AU Bulletin).An official ceremony in Chicago to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which was originally announced as a government-sponsored religious service, was altered after concerns were raised by Americans United for Separation of Church and State Americans United for Separation of Church and State (Americans United or AU for short) is a religious freedom advocacy group in the United States which promotes the separation of church and state, a legal doctrine seen by the AU as being enshrined in the Establishment . On Aug. 29, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Richard Daley may refer to:
n. 1. a. The act of reciting memorized materials in a public performance. b. The material so presented. 2. a. Oral delivery of prepared lessons by a pupil. b. of "the Chicago Prayer of Hope, Unity and Remembrance," written at city request by prominent religious leaders of Chicago. Daley's announcement suggested that the official city prayer would be printed and distributed by the government to a memorial ceremony audience. Complicating matters, Daley said Chicago public schools Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians, is a school district that controls over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois. would be asked to suspend their normal activities "so students can share in the observance." Americans United expressed concern that the city's planned Sept. 11 memorial ceremony fostered too much entanglement between religion and government. "All of us were affected by the events of Sept. 11, but this flagrant fla·grant adj. 1. Conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible: a flagrant miscarriage of justice; flagrant cases of wrongdoing at the highest levels of government. See Usage Note at blatant. 2. mixing of church and state is inappropriate," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn Reverend Barry W. Lynn (born 1948 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) has been the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State since 1992.[1] , AU's executive director. "The people of Chicago can choose to honor the victims of terrorism through voluntary worship, not city-sponsored religion." AU's concerns prompted a letter from James Law James Law (d. 1632) archbishop of Glasgow, son of James Law of Spittal, portioner of Lathrisk in the county of Fife, and Agnes Strang of the house of Balcaskie. Entering the church after graduation from university, he rose to the position of Bishop of Orkney, reorganising the , executive director of Daley's Office of Special Events. Law explained that Chicago ceremony would fully respect church-state separation. The "Chicago Prayer of Hope" Law said, would not be "sponsored" by the city, would not serve as an official city prayer, and no taxpayer funds would be used to print or distribute the prayer. Moreover, Law wrote that children in the city's public schools would be observing a moment of silence, but assured Americans United that "school children will not be joining in any religious observance." |
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