Supreme Court Rejects Hearing NC Prayer Case; Lower Court Prohibited Prayer Before Meetings

The Christian Broadcast Network website reports today (January 17, 2012) that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to get involved over public prayer in North Carolina's Forsyth County -- thus allowing a lower court's decision to stand.

County officials used to begin commission meetings with prayer.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that prayers given before the meetings were Christian, and therefore considered a government endorsement of a particular religion.

Mike Johnson -- the attorney who argued the county's case before the courts -- said he was surprised and disappointed at the Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case. He added, "We believe that sometime soon, the Supreme Court will have to hear one of these cases to resolve the issue."