Jones Applauds Supreme Court Decision Upholding Legislative Prayer

Press Release

Today, the Supreme Court released a landmark decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway, agreeing with Congressman Walter B. Jones' (NC-3) position that legislative prayer is lawful under the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The case stemmed from a suit brought by two atheist residents of the town of Greece, New York, who challenged the town's longstanding practice of opening its meetings in prayer -- a practice which was open to volunteers of all faiths or no faith.

Congressman Jones submitted an amicus curiae brief in the case to urge the Supreme Court to apply the coercion test, which analyzes whether a government practice coerces any person to participate in a religious exercise or profess support for something that the individual does not believe. The Court ruled in agreement with Congressman Jones that opening a town meeting in prayer does not meet the standard of coercion and is thus lawful under the Constitution.

"I applaud the Supreme Court for upholding the true intent of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution in Town of Greece v. Galloway," said Congressman Jones. "The free exercise of religion is one of our nation's founding principles, and the right of a town to open its meetings with prayer absolutely falls within the boundaries of the First Amendment."

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