Petition to Lodi California Mayor to Please Allow Prayers "in Jesus Name"
Petition Posted by Gordon James Klingenschmitt on June 21, 2009, 06:00 AM
VICTORY FOR JESUS PRAYERS!  Lodi CA votes 5-0 to defeat atheist complainers

But the atheists are now threatening to sue the city.  We pledged $10,000 to help the city's legal defense, but we've only raised $4,000 toward this goal, so we still need $6,000 in donations to help Lodi defend Jesus prayers.  Can you please donate to help defend religious liberty in court? 

Then please email and telephone all 5 city council members to say THANK YOU, here:
http://www.lodi.gov/city-council/Representatives.html 

Please watch our videos below, and please pray about donating to defend Jesus' name, right now!

AND PLEASE ADD YOUR "AMEN" TO THE PETITION FAR BELOW....

Click to Donate!



Defend Religious Freedom!

FOX NEWS 40 VIDEO: DURING RALLY
Demonized atheist chased out of Jesus Rally
CBS NEWS: DURING RALLY Conflict between Christians and Atheists at City Council Meeting FOX NEWS 40 VIDEO: BEFORE RALLY
Chaps comes to Lodi to defend Jesus' name

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  VICTORY NEWS REPORTS....READ HOW YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR MINISTRY MADE A DIFFERENCE!

Los Angeles Times:  Lodi Defends Its Public Prayers

Charisma Magazine:  California City Council OK's Prayers In Jesus' Name

Lodi News Sentinel:  Lodi may be headed for prayer lawsuit

The Church Report:  PrayInJesusName.org Scores Victory in City Council Vote

Christian Post:  Lodi Council Permits Jesus Prayers

Christian Newswire:  Victory for Jesus Prayers - Lodi CA votes 5-0 to Defeat Atheist Complainers

CBS News Video:  Lodi City Council meeting to decide prayer policy

Sacramento Bee:  Lodi Council Votes to Keep Prayers Before Meetings

Examiner:  Lodi Votes to Keep Uncensored Prayers

Americans United for Separation of Church and State:  Lodi Letdown - City Votes to Keep Prayers

Sacramento Bee:  Turlock CA votes to allow uncensored prayers

Stockton Record:  Tracy CA clarifies prayer policy

Examiner:  Mayor suddenly leans toward uncensored prayer

Lodi News Sentinel:  Ministry vows to purchase billboards advertising vote


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More corroborating PROOF news reports:

ABC NEWS 10 VIDEO (During rally)
NBC NEWS 3 VIDEO (During rally)
CBS NEWS 13 VIDEO (During rally)
ABC NEWS 10 VIDEO (Before rally)
ABC NEWS 10 VIDEO (Two days before rally)

Charisma Magazine:  Christians Rally To Defend Prayer In Jesus' Name

Lodi Sentinel:  Two opposing sides:  400 Christians vs. Two Dozen Atheists

Stockton Record:  Groups Fan Prayer Dispute with Dual Rallies

San Jose Mercury:  400 Christians and Two Dozen Atheists at Rally

Christian Post: Christians to Rally in Calif. to Defend Jesus Prayers

Stockton Record: Lodi Prayer battle brings in atheists, Christians

Lodi News Sentinel: Prayer showdown, two groups will hold rallies Wednesday

Stockton Record: Atheists plan counter-rally against Jesus prayers

"I've already got my plane ticket, and we've advertised the Rally!" 5 Aug 09 at 6pm


Lodi Prayers Put City Council on Hot Seat (Sacramento Bee)

Tracy California is second city under attack for Jesus prayers

WOW! Jewish and Atheist support for 5 Aug 09 pro-Jesus rally

Dr. James Dobson announces 5 Aug 09 prayer rally (CitizenLink.org)

Alliance Defense Fund offers pro-bono legal defense to protect Jesus-prayers

Pastors will rally on 5 August, 6pm on Steps of City Council Meeting (Lodi-News Sentinel)


City Council Will Hold Open Meeting to Debate Allowing "Jesus Prayers" (Lodi News-Sentinel)

Lodi City Council Invocations Drawing Fire By Atheists (San Joaquin Record)

Chaplain Klingenschmitt's "legal brief" email to Lodi City Council Members

TAKE ACTION:  First sign the petition below, then please politely email and telephone all 5 Lodi Councilmembers, whose phone numbers and emails are all listed here:
http://www.lodi.gov/city-council/Representatives.html 

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A PRAYER TO ALMIGHTY GOD,
and
A PETITION TO MAYOR OF LODI, CALIFORNIA, LARRY D. HANSEN,
and COUNCILMEMBERS MOUNCE, HITCHCOCK, JOHNSON, KATZAKIAN:

Dear Mayor and Councilmembers:

We the undersigned, respectfully petition you to defend religious freedom by allowing visiting pastors 

of all diverse faiths and denominations, to pray aloud publicly according to the dictates of their own conscience,

at or before city council meetings, even if they dare to pray aloud publicly "in Jesus name" or invoke their own specific deity. 

Please do not cave-in to atheist intimidation by the enemies of religious liberty, including

Americans United and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, who are threatening to sue to silence all prayers.

Please conform your decision to First Amendment precedent which allows Jesus prayers among other rotating diverse prayers,

as already decided in the 7th Circuit (Hinrichs v. Bosma) and 11th Circuit (Pelphrey v. Cobb County)

and by the Supreme Court of the United States in two decisions: Marsh v. Chambers and Lee v. Weisman.

Jesus is not an illegal word, the Bible is not a banned book, and evangelistic speech is not a crime. 

Please simply adopt a policy similar to Tulsa City Council, and declare the prayers are private speech, not government speech,

or allow the prayers to be said aloud during optionally attended time, just before the first government business is gaveled to order.

Please allow pro-bono Christian lawyers, from the Alliance Defense Fund or others, to defend your pro-Jesus prayer policy in court.

We pray to God you will stand with us by taking a courageous stand for liberty, in Jesus' name.  Amen."

Add your "Amen" by signing below, and WE WILL POST YOUR COMMENTS to the Mayor and Councilmembers
of Lodi, California who face threat of lawsuit by AU and FFRF to censor "Jesus" from public prayers.

Sign the Petition










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Petition Signatures

Gordon - Colorado Springs, CO

Please protect everybody's right to pray aloud publicly "in Jesus name!" This is America, for God's sake. Let's act like it.

 
Sandra - Glenview, IL

Someone else does not have the right to decide what faith I can worship and practice.

 
Linda - Creswell, OR

Remember that we have just as much right to CHOOSE to pray as atheists have to CHOOSE NOT to pray. One does not infringe upon the other. Thank you for using common sense in this decision.

 
EDward - South San Francisco, CA

In God, we lay our trust and in Jesus' name do we pray. God bless you

 
Joan - No. Hollywood, CA

This country is a Republic and as such Majority rules. I don't understand this political correctness. What made this country great was not poltical correctnesss but the desire to have a country where we were free to follow our religion and our dreams without the worry of being told "you can't" or you have too, except for obeying the rules of law as regards criminal activity.

 
Pat - ABQ, NM

wyqrbl

 
Sandra - Anderson, SC

I was a 44 year resident of California until 2005. I can not belive what is happening to what ONCE WAS A BEAUTIFUL STATE. The ACLU is a Communist run enity and its time they are stopped. This is AMERICA and we belive in the right to pray as we wish. If it was ALLAH IMN THE PRAYER, things would be OK. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THE PEOPLE THAT STAND TALL FOR HER.........

 
COL. DARRELL - GREENVILLE, KY.

.....IN JESUS NAME.....

 
Patricia - Riverview, Florida

It is Freedom OF religion...NOT freedom FROM religion.

 
gail - fountain inn, sc

This is america, it was founded in God's name. Please don't take jesus name out of prayer or country or our bills. We have the right to pray in Jesus name any time of the day night or anywhere.

 
Ron - Bentonville, AR

Do not give into the anti God atheists !!!! We have the right to express our prayer to God Jesus as they have to not pray and express their hate of God but dont tell me I can't pray!!! Are they trying to stop other religions from praying?? No!!

 
Kathleen - Cypress, TX

Prayer is guaranteed by our CONSTITUTION. No one has to pray.....just respect for those that do.

 
Bro.Ed - Belleair Bluffs, FL

Jn.14:6.............JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY

 
Jan - Alexandria, Ohio

Dear Mr. Mayor, No one has the right to tell me i can't say "in the name of Jesus". If you coward down to them, then you are no better than they are. This is America and we all have the freedon of religion, or the lack of. Whatever your choice is. If I want to shout "in the name of God" from the highest building in the U.S.A. then that is my right. For once tell these people to place it where the sun don't shine and perserve our rights as a free nation.

 
Kathleen - Bakersfield, California

You have got to stand up. Let the Alliance Defense Fund represent you. These are incremental transgressions, that will lead to America being prohibited from any expression of Christianity, even though that is our cultural foundation. Standing on principle on this issue will be far reaching in its' impact on the rest of the country. Stand, please stand, for the rest of us.