After the tragic accident involving a younger boy, an Alabama sheriff’s workplace requested residents to hope for the kid’s survival. Nevertheless, after an atheist group demanded that the division cease “utilizing tragedy to advertise the thought of prayer,” the sheriff’s workplace got here ahead with an unmistakable reply.
After a tragic accident left a 14-year-old Alabama boy preventing for his life, the Walker County Sheriff’s Workplace issued an replace together with a heartfelt plea for residents to unite in prayer for the younger man. The accident concerned one of many sheriff’s deputies in a automobile and the boy on a four-wheeler.
“As an alternative of losing our breath condemning and judging, all of us want to make use of it to cry out for God to put His hand on this younger boy, and return him house to his household,” the sheriff’s workplace wrote. “To convey peace and calm to a deputy who is totally damaged. My coronary heart hasn’t been this heavy in a very long time. As your Sheriff, I’m accountable for talking for my division, and all I ask is that you simply pray. Pray arduous, and pray from the deepest components of your coronary heart, as a result of there are two good people who want it now greater than ever.”
Expectedly, practically each remark supplied prayers or condolences, because the tragedy remained the main focus of the submit. Nevertheless, it didn’t take lengthy earlier than an anti-religion group caught wind of the decision.
In line with Fox Information, the submit was delivered to the eye of the Freedom From Faith Basis (FFRF), which describes itself as a “nonprophet nonprofit” watchdog in assist of “atheism, agnosticism, [and] skepticism.” The group jumped on the sheriff’s workplace and issued an unofficial cease-and-desist letter.
“The problem right here is that the sheriff’s workplace has a sample of utilizing tragedy to advertise the thought of prayer and our letter reminds the sheriff, not everybody in Walker County prayers or believes in the identical faith,” FFRF affiliate counsel Sam Grover wrote in a letter accusing the sheriff of disregarding the Structure. “It’s laudable to your Workplace to assist these in mourning and to facilitate group recognition for many who have misplaced their lives serving the general public. Nevertheless, a mindless and tragic dying is just not an excuse to ignore the Structure, which prohibits authorities entities just like the Sheriff’s Workplace from selling non secular exercise.”
Since Grover doubtless understands that there are not any authorized grounds for motion towards the sheriff’s division, Grover neither cites a selected regulation not threatens a lawsuit, each of that are usually present in a letter from the FFRF. Thankfully, the sheriff’s workplace is aware of this as nicely.
Representing the Walker County Sheriff’s Workplace, public info officer T.J. Armstrong defined that the division was “shocked” by the letter’s calls for. Nevertheless, in an announcement relaying Sheriff Nick Smith’s resolution on the matter, Armstrong issued a transparent reply.
“Our response goes to be to proceed to do the most effective we will,” Armstrong mentioned. “We’ve got by no means as soon as obtained a single criticism.” When requested if they’d change something due to the FFRF letter, he responded, “It’s a really implicit, no.”
For the reason that assault from the FFRF, Sheriff Smith and his fellow officers have obtained overwhelming assist from the group. Nevertheless, the sheriff’s workplace maintains that it isn’t attempting to trigger a scene with its refusal to again down.
“We’re not searching for a combat,” Armstrong added. “Nevertheless, we is not going to cower down, particularly in the case of our particular person religion.”
In fact, the FFRF didn’t obtain the response for which that they had deliberate. Nevertheless, Grover and his group admit that they gained’t be submitting a lawsuit or a court docket problem, at the very least, not right now.
Neither Grover nor the FFRF has supplied a response to the division’s resolution to disclaim their calls for. Nevertheless, they hope that making use of constant stress on people and teams such because the sheriff’s workplace will end in them refraining from utilizing such non secular language.
