Thanks to FFRF, prayers will no longer precede meals at the Simpsonville Activity and Senior Center in Simpsonville, S.C. FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel warned the Parks and Recreation Department, which runs the center, that such religious practices in government-supported organizations are prohibited by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and Title XX of the Social Security Act.
“Not only does organizing public prayer at meals jeopardize your federal funding, it also violates our citizen’s rights to be free from religious proselytizing by the government or government funded organizations,” informed Seidel.
On Dec. 5, FFRF received a reply from the Director of Recreation Robbie Davis, stating that “staff at the Simpsonville Senior Center has ceased leading or encouraging prayer before meal functions.”
