Legal sparring over prayer still unsettled

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- An attorney predicted the long-running legal battle over the National Day of Prayer in the United States will probably end up at U.S. Supreme Court.

Jordan Sekulow, an attorney with the Christian advocacy group American Center for Law and Justice, told the Austin American-Statesman the debate about the intention of the day and the right to pray or not is a long way from being settled.

Critics say having a special day implies the government wants Americans to get down on their knees and pray in violation of the separation of church and state.

But proponents say there in no pressure to participate in the National Day of Prayer, which next falls on May 5, 2011.

"You may pray (on the National Day of Prayer), but if you don't want to, no one is going to force you to," Sekulow said.

The American-Statesman said similar issues are being addressed in a Texas case involving two employees of the University of Texas at Arlington who prayed and anointed a co-worker's cubicle with olive oil after hours in 2006. They also called on demons to be cast out of their co-worker, who wasn't there at the time.

The co-worker complained to her supervisor and both women were fired.

"People shouldn't fear that they're going to lose their job and the government is going to attack them because they prayed together after work," said Kelly Shackelford, the lawyer representing the women.

The newspaper said a judge this summer rejected a motion for summary judgment in the case, opening the door for trial at a later date.