The name of a Cobb County Police Department-sponsored public event series has changed from “Faith Forums” to “Community Forums” after pressure from FFRF.
Multiple community members in Marietta, Ga., informed FFRF that CCPD was sponsoring “Faith Forums,” which apparently function as community forums intended to address issues of teen violence and gangs in the community. The goals of the forums include “developing results-oriented relationships with institutions of faith” and to “allow pastors or associate pastors an opportunity to have an open discussion with the [police] chief.” According to local media, nearly 300 local law enforcement representatives “dined with religious leaders” in order to discuss further participation “in one another’s events, such as officers attending church events or smaller gatherings at the house of worship.”
FFRF Staff Attorney Ryan Jayne wrote to the police department, pointing out that “while it is laudable for the CCPD to work with the community to prevent teen violence and gang activity, holding a ‘Faith Forum’ that is only open to ‘pastors’ sends an impermissible message of exclusion to nonreligious community members.”
One complainant has now reported that the event’s name has been changed to “Community Forum” on a recent advertisement.
