Oct 19, 2012
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A widow who lives in a Minnesota apartment complex funded by the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development was told that she could not pray, read her Bible or have private discussions of a religious nature in the commons area of the complex.
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The incident allegedly occurred at the Osborne Apartments in Spring Lake Park, Minn. — near Minneapolis.
Ruth Sweats was was having a casual conversation with another resident about the Bible when a social worker interrupted the conversation and told her that she could not talk about religion or the Bible in the commons area.
The social worker then told the widow that the apartment complex receives funding from the federal government and therefore she did not have First Amendment rights because HUD does not allow religious discussions in public areas of the complex.
Sweats contacted Alliance Defending Freedom — a legal advocacy group that immediately sent a letter to the senior living complex urging them to reconsider their actions.
“Government funding should not be misused to ban a widow’s prayers,” said ADF legal counsel Matt Sharp. “The private decision of senior citizens to discuss their faith, read the Bible, and pray is private speech, and no law requires this privately owned independent living facility to restrict the religious expression of these members of America’s greatest generation.”
The apartment complex manager did not return calls seeking comment.
The ADF said Osborne Apartments is free to allow the residents to engage in religious discussion and prayer.”
The letter also explains that “HUD does not prohibit discussion about religion in the facilities to which it provides funding” and that federal court precedent has established that “simply because the government provides a benefit with public funds does not mean that all ‘mention of religion or prayers’ must be whitewashed from the use of the benefit.”
Alliance Defending Freedom also suggested their actions may have violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
“The right thing to do out of respect for the senior citizens—many of whom fought or saw their spouses fight in wars to defend our nation and the freedoms upon which it is built—is to remove the ban on religious expression in the commons area…,” the letter states. “We hope that this letter will clear up these issues and that you will do away with this terrible policy.”
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She is not the first or last to have a Bible or prayer in a public place. Peter and Paul were caught in the same position. They held their own and were placed in prison. We must stand up for what we believe. I will pray in a public place.
She is not the first or last to have a Bible or prayer in a public place. Peter and Paul were caught in the same position. They held their own and were placed in prison. We must stand up for what we believe. I will pray in a public place.
Our US currency states "In God We Trust" on it. If you don't like it then get the f*#k out!
Our Lord said that this is how it would be in the last days.
I would like to see this one taken to the supreme court. Just keep praying. Hard as they may try they can never silence prayer.
Fire the person who toldher not to read the bible in the comons.
I blame the social worker who the heck did she think she was to interupt a private conversation. I have never once heard you cannot read a bible or talk religion or pray in a common area. these people live in a community type place like for a reason and one of them is not to have thier rights taken away by small minded people.
Another disgusting action from a commie liberal government.
I have to wonder why it is only OLD people that these godless socialist jerks do this too. Is it because had this "social worker" tried to tell say.. someone like me that I cant discuss God, or the Bible in the place where I live that they might just be draggin their asses back to their offices in a sling… not just figuratively, but quite literally… would this same "social work have said this to a muslim? no becasue they know they would have been risking their life… It is time for Christians to STOP playing the lamb and be the lion, stand up to these kinds of people no matter where they are. Jesus WAS NOT only the lamb but he was also the lion… read the Bible and ask yourselves was Jesus being nice when he "removed" the money changers and vendors from the temple? NO he was being violent and scary and physically threatening… he had to be otherwise these men would have laughed at him had he said.. ".. umm please.. uhh excuse me could u guys please not.. um sell your stuff in here… " no instead he got violent and threw these men out THREW THEM OUT…. which means he got all up in their grills and put his foot up their collective butts… to use today's vernacular. too many times I have seen and read stories of Christians being troubled by those why want to erase the fact that this nation WAS founded on Christian principles (and I don't care what idiots claim otherwise, the founding fathers WERE Christian and used the Bible to help fashion the laws of this country.. and if anyone don't like that fact..pack your crap and get out.. just like Jesus made the money changers do in the temple). If there are people who do not like the fact that this nation IS a Christian nation then please by all means pack up and GTFO.
ABSOLUTELY REAL MY KIND OF ANSWER THAT CAT O NINE TAILS WAS PRETTY VIOLENT BUT THEY DESERVED IT MAYBE NEXT TIME SOME ONE TALKS AGAINST GOD WE DO THE SAME
Thomas Jefferson
3rd U.S. President, Drafter and Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event."
–Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, p. 237.
"I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ."
–The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, p. 385.
If you have not read the article by Don Fredrick, titled "Can It All Be a Coincidence?", search and read it. It's eye-opening even to liberals. But liberals will continue to blindly support him no matter what.
If you have not read the article by Don Fredrick, titled "Can It All Be a Coincidence?", search and read it. It's eye-opening even to liberals. But liberals will continue to blindly support him no matter what.
Disgusting and disgraceful. Current day politicians must have skipped their history lessons.
MAYBE THAT IS WHY NO RECORDS CAN BE FOUND, THERE ARE NOT ANY !
MAYBE THAT IS WHY NO RECORDS CAN BE FOUND, THERE ARE NOT ANY !
This just shows u people don't know what their talking about or understand our history. People now think u cant say anything religious in public at all and that is a BIG LIE.
They cannot PERMIT people to pray or discuss their religion. They do not have a Constitutional right to PREVENT prayer or religious discussion. The sooner someone sues, the better.
If you go look up Christian quotes on the internet from our Founding Fathers u wont believe some of the things they said. Some of their quotes sound like they are reading from the Bible itself.
Benjamin Rush signer of the Declaration of Independence said……. The gospel of Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules for just conduct in every situation of life. Happy they who enabled to obey them in all situations. Benjamin Rush was also the one who started the idea of Sunday School.
I NEVER HEARD B RUSH HE DID NOT START SUNDAY SCHOOL NO MATTER YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WORSHIP EVERY DAY NOT JUST ONE DAY CALLED SUNDAY JESUS BECAME OUR REST IT IS WRITTEN HAVE YOU READ ?
I just looked up Christian quotes form Benjamin Rush he promoted Sunday School and also start the Bible insitute of Penn. He also was a medical doctor and when the public schools stopped using the bible in schools he fought for the bible being used at school and gave every student a bible and had the gov. pay for it. I just readi it at Christian quotes of our Founding Fathers. Look it up.
That social worker ought to be fired as an example to any others who wish to erase God from public life.
This is just one small part of a quote from our Founding Fathers. There are many of them some of them are very long. If u go on the internet look up Christian quotes from our Founding Fathers some of them sound like u are reading from the bible.
Did any of the outraged people posting comments actually read the article?
The housing authority said the worker who told the woman to stop praying was in the wrong.
So what are all you people getting worked up about?
Some idiot told a woman she couldn't pray?
The agency the idiot worked for said the idiot was wrong and shouldn't have done that.
How is this even newsworthy?
And why are all you morons posting about the agency restricting her rights when the agency said the worker was wrong and she can pray wherever she wants?
WOW…HUD wont allow her to speak about religion but the greedy bastards let a meth head live in the house across the street from us for $80 a month. She and her sister got to cook meth over there, She also had 5 kids by 5 different fathers. She got food stamps, child support, and who knows what else. Oh yea, she also had a free cell phone and got to go to the community college for free. All this while the one an only child actually living with her spent most of his time with me. I'm and OLD woman too and don't even recognize my country anymore. I PRAY every day that OBlameYa will be out of the White House soon……yep, I PRAY and will continue to, they will have to take my bible out of my cold dead hands…..
Or Gisela, in the situation I know about, a HUD-financed senior housing apartment allowed a man with a known conviction for sexual abuse to live in the unit. Residents complained but the housing authority said he could not be restricted from living there because it would be discrimination against a man who had paid his debt to society. The residents' concern was justified and some months later he raped the manager.
Sorry to say Marilyn but it seems the criminals rights have become much more important than law abiding citizens……what a shame. Next we will be doing what the Greeks have done and give them financial aide because they have a sickness…..we just had a judge rule that a male inmate could get a sex change operation at the tax payers expense….and this is what we worked hard all our lives and payed our bills and taxes for…..yet another entitlement for people who contribute nothing.
Sorry to say Marilyn but it seems the criminals rights have become much more important than law abiding citizens……what a shame. Next we will be doing what the Greeks have done and give them financial aide because they have a sickness…..we just had a judge rule that a male inmate could get a sex change operation at the tax payers expense….and this is what we worked hard all our lives and payed our bills and taxes for…..yet another entitlement for people who contribute nothing.
“The right thing to do out of respect for American citizens is to remove the ban on religious expression in the commons area…If open prayer & using the US Capital for church at the beginning of this great nation was good enough & sacred to our 1st President & many others in Congress starting then, than any place on American soil is sacred for open free speech for even God to be talked about, period!
Even in schools now around Christmas time u got school officials making up their own rules banning Santa Claus, reindeers, snowflakes etc. things that are not even religious. This is just way out of hand people making up their own rules and not knowing what they are talking about or know their history.
Even in schools now around Christmas time u got school officials making up their own rules banning Santa Claus, reindeers, snowflakes etc. things that are not even religious. This is just way out of hand people making up their own rules and not knowing what they are talking about or know their history.
Even in schools now around Christmas time u got school officials making up their own rules banning Santa Claus, reindeers, snowflakes etc. things that are not even religious. This is just way out of hand people making up their own rules and not knowing what they are talking about or know their history.
Even forbidding the use of Red and Green cups and paper plates at school parties.
I would have told him to "Step away…I'm busy praying and I'm free to do that ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE. WHENEVER I PLEASE." If he had a problem with that, he would just have to call the police.
None of this should surprise believers as we are living in the End Times….its going to get worse….keep the faith.
I'm not religious, but I don't see a problem with this lady talking her religion with anyone willing to listen.
This is wrong wrong wrong.
The social worker is a idiot.
THANK YOU FOR TRUTH ******************************************************************************Dave Brown · Anchorage, Alaska.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
THis was one person telling her she could not do this, tey having a state try to make a religious veiw illegal. http://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/tennesee-lawmakers-try-to-make-islamic-law-illegal/
"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."
THE WALL MEANS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ESTABLISH A CHURCH BUT THEN WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT OF AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHAT PART OF THIS DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?
Our Constitution has been reduced to toilet paper and our so called "leaders" are wiping their kiesters with it.
Things like this get my blood boiling. Christians don't need to get intimidated by crap like this.
I WILL SAY NO I REPEAT NO BODY FROM ANY SOURCE WILL KEEP US FROM PRAYING BECAUSE GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW FIRE THE HUD PERSON AND LETS PUT OUR VALUES BACK INTO GOVERNMENT NOT MUSLIM OR COMMUNIST VALUES.
Are you kidding me? Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are no longer allowed in our country? It's time we stood up for our rights? Bet no one would have said a word if it was any other religion than Christianity. Christians, it's time to take our country back. And we can start with election day in November!
outrageous!! :-/
outrageous!! :-/
Anti-Christian Democrats discriminating against people they don't like.
Anti-Christian Democrats discriminating against people they don't like.
They have violated her rights…plain and simple. I hope they are sued.
Incredible, but believable. This completely violates her first amendment rights. Hud needs to be disbanded and the properties sold to investors. Qualifying residents can be provided Section vouchers. Th is authenticates that the Federal Government has insufficient capacity to operate housing. They have failed miserably, time after time. Sell of these properties to the highest qualified bidder and use the funds to pay down the national debt and lay off these incompetent workers who need retraining. Romney said he would provide retraining for them.
Matthew 6:5-6: And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
It would be nice if you superstitious religious wackos would actually READ the books you're trying to impose on everyone else…
She was having a "casual conversation"? Sounds like total BS to me.
I bet she was trying to PREACH to everyone that was within earshot in the common areas.
She should NOT be allowed to do that in a HUD subsidized buildings COMMON AREAS.
BS, she is allowed to do "it" anyplace she likes…you can chose not to listen. BTW, no where in the article does it imply or infer that this woman was "preaching" so you can put your spin machine away and stop trying to morph the issue into something it is not just to suit your silly argument.
Anthony De Rubeis
No, she is NOT allowed to do "it" anyplace she likes. You should learn something about the law.
I feel sorry for you and your lack of reading comprehension of my previous statement.
Jay Shepherd – Jay, it is a well established fact that you are an ass. You entire point is based upon your bent speculation that this women was "preaching" which is asinine. I personally don't give a damn what you "think" or "feel" or "what should be" as none of that is law. You have proven many times by your posts that we can fit what you know about the law on the head of a pin and still have room to dance.
Anthony De Rubeis
Your ignorance is astounding. For you to say "she is allowed to do "it" anyplace she likes" shows that you are completely ignorant of the law.
But your ignorance is well documented.
You are still a stubborn ass with a profound ignorance of the FA and nothing you can research or post will factually defend your position; all you have and have ever had is your secular progressive opinion which is worth exactly ZERO.
You are still a stubborn ass with a profound ignorance of the FA and nothing you can research or post will factually defend your position; all you have and have ever had is your secular progressive opinion which is worth exactly ZERO.
Anthony De Rubeis
There are a plethora of court cases that state you can not pray aloud or preach wherever you want.
Again, you should your ignorance.
I am completely familiar with the SCOTUS cases; NAME ONE. Not that it matters but these people were not "praying." I stand by my posts and you are still empty.
Anthony De Rubeis
You are a pathetic and sad little man.
I'm done teaching you.
Jay Shepherd – I told you; there are no such SCOTUS cases…thanks for your acknowledgement…and you're still empty. The only thing you could "teach" is another secular progressive fool to be wrong.
Anthony De Rubeis
Good bye, loser.
Jay Shepherd – GPSIYA Bozo.
Wow…go team Democrat. I can't wait to hear how the rights of those who find what this woman is doing offensive have been violated and how public prayer is an abomination that must be stopped at all cost. What the hell is wrong with this country? Why is it such an offense? Let people have the right to worship, where ever they are. It's not hurting anyone. Now on the other hand, taking away our freedoms is very dangerous.
If you can give me 5 good points possessed by both candidates combined, let me know. Until then, I'm voting for the 3rd pary
What does team Democrat have to do with that at all? There's not even a political party reference in the post (which is a surprise coming from FoxNews). I'd say, "Wow…go team church of America." It starts with those who bear the name of the Lord our God in vain. Do you really think a politician (or hundreds) are going to fix this mess?
I really think that it comes from the liberal mindset. The mentality of "If I don't like what you are doing I will do everything in my power to make a law to stop you. Especially if you are doing something that is in reference to Christianity". That is where I was going with the Team Democrat comment. It typically comes out of the left camp to block religious freedoms in public.
THis case was a no brainer. Atheists like me don't want to ban people like this woman from talking about religion. She is not the government. She doesn't work for the government and is abusing any authority to win people to her religion, as happens at times with teachers and coaches. The employee was wrong, clearly wrong. Nobody is going to argue that.
First Amendment. End of discussion. Lawsuit to follow.
What a bully the social worker is! And ill-informed!
Isn't it amazing that what started as a "separation issue" has now progressed to an attack on Christian free speech. An outrage!
Isn't it amazing that what started as a "separation issue" has now progressed to an attack on Christian free speech. An outrage!
This just shows me that the social worker had no idea what shes talking about. You now have people just making up their own rules.
Unbelievable, yet believable. A sad state of affairs when misinformation guides policy.
The states only fail when they become dependent on an over-powered Fed.
Probably has to hide her flag, too, unless it has a hammer and sickle printed on it.
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Romney: http://clnk.me/1wPjQ
Obama: http://clnk.me/1x0CY
Romney = WRONG FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS, he is supported by rich people who only want more money.
celebs are getting political and showing support for both candidates… I think obama's supporters are better, tell me what you think: http://clnk.me/1xWWw.
If the courts have ruled that “simply because the government provides a benefit with public funds does not mean that all ‘mention of religion or prayers’ must be whitewashed from the use of the benefit.” Then why are students told that they can't have a class prayer? Or a teacher gets fired for privately saying a prayer before she ate her lunch.
If the courts have ruled that “simply because the government provides a benefit with public funds does not mean that all ‘mention of religion or prayers’ must be whitewashed from the use of the benefit.” Then why are students told that they can't have a class prayer? Or a teacher gets fired for privately saying a prayer before she ate her lunch.