Well, praise the Lord and pass the Holy Water.
Perhaps the all-powerful, all-knowing One decided to sit this one out and I am giving credit where it isn’t due.
Maybe He decided His loyal servant, Senior Federal Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr., is capable of making decisions on his own. Freewill may have prevailed. Veteran readers won’t believe I actually think that.
They know I believe in an all-powerful God who predestines everything. Nothing is left to chance.
Of course, I don’t really believe freewill took over in Copenhaver’s recent decision to ban the so-called Lord’s Prayer from warm-up activities at Parkersburg city council meetings.
Pushing 100 years of age, the son of a long-ago Charleston Mayor of the same name has never hesitated to call them as he sees them as a federal judge. There is no intimidating Judge Copenhaver. Never has been. Likely never will be.
That’s Copenhaver’s sensible freewill — not God’s.
And anyone who visits federal court can tell you, Copenhaver is as sharp as a tack mentally. He understands and interprets law with the best of them, right up to the present.
In case you missed it, Judge Copenhaver has ordered the West Virginia city to stop reciting The Lord’s Prayer at its council meetings.
In his Charleston courtroom, Copenhaver ruled that Parkersburg City Council’s practice of opening its meetings with the New Testament prayer violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Thst clause prohibits government from favoring one religion over others. Can I get an “amen, Judge”?
Copenhaver issued a permanent injunction against the prayer recital and awarded $1 in damages to each plaintiff.
The token fine underscores how frivolous such fights are. Copenhaver ruled in a lawsuit filed by the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
The Madison, Wisconsin-based group and two of its members sued the city in 2018.
The lawsuit said residents stood at each Parkersburg City Council meeting to recite the prayer with council members. Plaintiffs Daryl Cobranchi and Eric Engle of Parkersburg attended some meetings, remained seated and did not participate in the prayer’s recital, the suit says. It was they who had the religious courage to file suit.
As I think of “Christian” groups determined to shove their religion — and prayer — down our collective throats, I can only heap praise on this brilliant judge. He’s not trying to win a popularity contest. He’s doing what’s right in the eyes of the law.
I salute him.
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Does the ruling indicate the judge is not a “Christian?” Certainly not. It shows that a real judge knows to separate church and state in his rulings.
He doesn’t bring “religious” celebrations” to Logan County public property by ordering the board of education to use church public address equipment at a public event so they can “praise God” appropriately. That actually happened not long ago.
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If it’s the “Lord’s Prayer” why are mixed pagan and Christian groups directed to repeat it?
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It appears that former legislative Majority Leader Rick Staton may be the designated challenger for state Democrat Committee chair this summer. Since Belinda Biafore was named to the position in 2015, efforts to replace her have regularly come from the liberal-socialist, Bernie Sanders wing of the party.
Staton has begun campaigning for the job, pointing out his strengths for state Democrats. He sees these as his history in the legislature, his relatively light schedule which would allow him meetings to rally the troops and more. It’s clear he wants to continue the theme that Biafore is not progressive enough.
Staton served as Wyoming County Prosecutor in addition to his legislative service and was a state Under Cabinet Secretary.
I haven’t discussed the chair position with its current occupant. As regular readers know, Biafore is one of my favorite political leaders.
She’s done more to promote a positive Dem image in the state than anyone I know. So it’s clear: I’m for Biafore if she wants another term.
It’s a thankless job and Biafore is perfect for it.
In a letter to Democrat party leaders, Staton touts his positives and suggests it’s time for a change.