N.C. Pastor Fired For “Jesus” Prayer At State Capitol
Dr. Ronnie L. Baity, the Pastor of the Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., was fired from his position as an honorary chaplain of the state house of representatives after he closed a prayer in the name of Jesus. Photo taken from the Church Web site.
A North Carolina pastor was fired from his position as an honorary chaplain of the state house of representatives after he closed a prayer in the name of Jesus.
“I got fired,” said Dr. Ron L. Baity, the Pastor of the Berean Baptist Church located in Winston-Salem, N.C, during an interview with Fox News Radio.
Pastor Baity had been invited to lead prayer for the entire week of May 31, but was relieved of his duty when he refused to remove the name Jesus from his invocation. Bailey said the invocation included prayers for the military, state lawmakers and “a petition to God asking him to bless North Carolina.”
Baity said he was not given instructions before the invocation, but simply asked to compose his prayer in advance.
When a House clerk asked to see the prayer, and noted it closed “In Jesus name,” Baity was told to change it because others in attendance share different beliefs. Baity told her he stands by the prayer he wrote.
“When I handed it to the lady, I watched her eyes and they immediately went right to the bottom of the page and the word Jesus,” he told FOX News Radio. “She said ‘We would prefer that you not use the name Jesus. We have some people here that can be offended.’”
“I told her I was highly offended when she asked me not to pray in the name of Jesus because that does constitute my faith,” Baity said. “My faith requires that I pray in His name. The Bible is very clear.”
“My response to her was I am a Christian and as a Christian I too can be offended, and I am offended if I cannot pray in the name of Jesus.”
The clerk then informed House Speaker Joe Hackney (D) about the matter.
Hackney and House Republican Leader Paul Stam released a joint statement stating that they are intending to “review” their procedures:
It has been our practice in the North Carolina House of Representatives for many years to request, but not require, that our guest chaplains deliver a nonsectarian prayer. This is intended as a show of respect for all the religions practiced by the members of the House and the people we represent.
In this instance, we allowed Pastor Baity to deliver his prayer, without interference, even though it was sectarian in nature. Nonetheless, we will review our procedures and guidelines concerning guest chaplains, and we will make sure we abide by applicable constitutional procedures. The House will adjourn within the next few days, but the results of this review will be publicly available whenever it is complete.
Baity said he is shocked by what is happening in America.
“When the state tells you how to pray, that you cannot use the name of Jesus – that’s mandating a state religion,” he said. “They talk about not offending other people but at the same time, if they are telling me how to pray – that’s the very thing our forefathers left England for.”
“You would expect this somewhere else – Cuba, Saudi Arabia,” he said. “You would never anticipate this happening in the United States of America.”
At a Press Conference on Thursday, attorney David C Gibbs III, of Gibbs Law Firm and the Christian Law Association, (CLA), an organization that offers free legal defense and counsel to churches, said that the House’s refusal to allow Baity to continue his duties because he invoked a prayer in Jesus’ name is unconstitutional.
“The First Amendment promises all Americans the free exercise of their religion, which includes the right to pray as their faith requires, even when they are invited to open state legislative sessions with prayer,” said Gibbs. “We trust that the North Carolina House of Representatives will realize its mistake and will offer Pastor Baity another opportunity to pray without requiring him to use a prayer that is mandated by the government.”
Gibbs added, “There is no authority in American history, tradition or Supreme Court precedent that requires a legislature to censor a private citizen’s prayers in order to participate in a benefit or privilege that is offered to other citizens of the state.”
In a letter to the state House of Representatives drafted by the CLA, they asked that an apology be given to their client and that the House also give him the opportunity to return to the state capitol and finish his tenure.
Watch interview with Pastor Baity by WXII.
Related posts:
- N.C. County Will Appeal Ruling That Censors Prayer
- ACLU Warns City Council To Stop ‘Christian’ Prayers
- UCLA Professor Prohibits Student from Thanking ‘Jesus’ in Graduation Speech
- Professor Fired For Teaching Catholic Doctrine On Homosexuality Is Reinstated
- School Officials Cleared of Criminal Contempt Charges in Case Involving Prayer!
Short URL: http://www.christianlawjournal.com/?p=18850
As a life long deist and recent convert to Christianity, I cannot stand around idly anymore and watch this country suffer the same fate as that which did in 1917 Russia. This country was founded on freedom of religion not freedom from religion. Freedom to practice that religion as you please and where you please so “praying in the closet” simply to please a miniscule minority isn’t necessary. I say stand up and preach your faith in Christ even louder becuase your opposition already is.
I have advice for all of you who are so indignant and self-righteous over this. How about you all go into your closets and pray instead? I know, it’s a crazy idea!
God what a bunch of knee-jerk reactionaries this site has on it.
Baity wasn’t preaching to his church. He was asked to open the days work of the state. That means he’s representing ALL North Carolina citizens and many of those citizens aren’t necessarily christian. How hard is that to understand?
Non-christian and christian taxpayers aren’t paying to have the state house turned into a church. You and Baity can pray to jesus all you want, when you want, but the state house isn’t in the business of pronouncing jesus’ name or any other religious figure, for that matter. Thats for your church and home or anywhere else but not while you’re representing the other millions of diverse NC residents.
Stop with the Christian Persecution Complex already. Take a breath. No one is stopping you from saying jesus! jesus! jesus! til your little hearts are content.
Also, Xmas. Ohh! I said it. Am I gonna burn? Grow up people. Time to start acting like adults.
My God have mercy on the people of our government. As a Christian it is our right to pray in the name of Jesus. How dare you to try and take that right away. Our government may have been successful in taking many rights from us, but praying in the name of Jesus is one honor that I will not give up. There have been multi thousand of men and women who have lost their lives fighting for the rights and freedom of the people of this great United States, and you want to dis-honor them by doing stupid stuff now. I will continue to pray for those in the government, and that will be in the Name Of Jesus. I don’t care one bit who that may offend.
For the love of Jesus, put away your outrage. I remember a few other guys who got in trouble for praying to the LORD… they got thrown in a furnace. I don’t pity Rev. Baity for getting fired. I pity him for getting offended.
The Reverend Baity should contact Jay Sekulow at the American Center for Law and Justice. A.C.L.J. This is an outrage.
It is a shame and disgrace to hear this happening in my home state! There have been a number of shameful things in my state, but none before have surpassed this! This situation is CERTAINLY relative to the ever-growing secularism that pervades our society due to the teaching, as fact, of evolutionary fairy tales to our children and in our universities. This God-less world view is devoid of true science and pushes our culture more and more to “non-sectarian” views, leaving the only state-authorized religion that of humanism. We need to expose evolution for what it is: a state-sanctioned, non-science, religious world view that is devoid of moral basis and is encroaching upon all religious views in our nation.
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess…… thats going to be a awkward day for some. peace be to them in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and in the name of Jesus Christ…… Thanks be to you Father, you are worthy of praise, Your goofy friend Doug.
I am outraged that our freedom to pray in the name of Jesus Christ in denied. I pray in the name of Jesus that Rev Baity and his lawyer will be successful in their appeal.
God Bless
You’ve got to be kidding me? What next? I saw this on the news and am also outraged and sick to see the U.S. Churches putting up with this action. Never before have we had to stoop to this kind of action on the part of the politicians in this country. As a Marine Combat Vet. I fought in Vietnam for freedom’s such as this. I am sick and tired of even the fact, that we can’t say Merry Xmas, or pray when and where we want. November’s coming fast.
Tom:
Please don’t use X-mas – that is taking Christ out of Christmas. Of course, that is your privilege.
[...] Yesterday on the morning news I heard that a pastor in North Carolina who was asked to be honorary chaplain of the state House of Representatives was [...]
I cvan not believe we can not use the name of jesus any longer.. I totally believe one day americans will become fed up with all this and will retaliate. it is only a matter of mtime.. we can not talk jesus, we can not say merry christmas..what else is next? personally I will not accept having to be careful not to offend muslims.
I am outraged at the “firing” of Rev. Baity. The changes that are happening to this country are becoming ridiculous. The Christians of this nation had better get a clue to what’s happening and do something about it. The ballot box is the place to begin. Rev. Baity, you and your lawyer hang in there. Prayers are coming your way.