Chaplain's Prayer at City Council Meetings  Causes Uproar With Atheist Group 

Pismo Beach, California may have a heavy lawsuit on their hands. Major Atheist group, The church-state separatist group "Freedom From Religion Foundation" is filing a lawsuit against the city after it allowed a chaplain to deliver sectarian prayers during city council meetings for the past several years.

 The suit filed in the San Luis Obispo Superior Court and claims that city's chaplain Rev. Paul E. Jones provided invocations that were predominately Christian based during the opening of city council meetings for the past 5 years. The FFRF wants the lawsuit to dismiss the chaplain position and the practice of prayer before city council meetings.

During an interview FFRF co-president, Annie Laurie said,

"With 20% of the adult population today identifying as nonreligious, at least a fifth of the population is routinely excluded and offended by official prayer conducted by the city. Non-Christian believers are also excluded when the government prayer is Christian, as it routinely is. It's time public officials catch up with the changing demographics. Elected officials should get off their knees and get to work,"

"In virtually every city prayer, Jones pressures citizens and the council to live a Christian lifestyle in accordance with the bible, to vote for 'righteous' leaders and to make decisions that honor Jones' particular god."

Press releases say that out of the 112 city council prayers Jones did from year 2008-13, the majority of them made reference to a Christian god and beliefs.

Pismo Beach City attorney David Fleishman says that the city has had no complaints since Jones was appointed chaplain and that the recent controversy could stem from the Supreme Court preparing to take up the case of Greece, N.Y. v. Galloway, Susan, a lawsuit filed by residents of Greece, New York who argue their city violated their first amendment rights by allowing predominately Christian prayers to take place at government meetings. The ruling of the case would set a precedent for prayer at government meetings in the U.S.

Stay tuned for more news and updates as the story builds.