Police Stand Up to Group Demanding They Be Sensitive to Atheists While Praying for Murdered Sheriff’s Family

Finally, someone is standing up to the anti-Christian bigots who run the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

In Alabama, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith is refusing to bow to the group’s request that he stop asking people in his community to pray following tragic events.

The FFRF freaked out two weeks ago after learning the sheriff’s office published a request on Facebook that their followers “pray from the deepest parts of your heart” for a 14-year-old boy involved in a tragic accident.

Another post from the sheriff’s office stated that “our prayers are with” a policeman’s family after he was killed by an 18-year-old.

That was enough to prompt Sam Grover, associate counsel for the FFRF, to write a letter to the sheriff’s office demanding it knock it off.

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“The issue here is that the sheriff’s office has a pattern of using tragedy to promote the idea of prayer and our letter reminds the sheriff, not everyone in Walker County prayers or believes in the same religion,” he wrote.

“It is laudable for your Office to support those in mourning and to facilitate community recognition for those who have lost their lives serving the public,” he continued.

“However, a senseless and tragic death is not an excuse to disregard the Constitution, which prohibits government entities like the Sheriff’s Office from promoting religious activity.”

Typically, the FFRF issues some sort of legal ultimatum if its demands aren’t met. Just weeks ago, it successfully threatened an Oklahoma grade school with a lawsuit if it didn’t put a halt to a live nativity scene.

But that wasn’t what happened here, likely because Grover knows there are no grounds for action.

Much to Grover’s chagrin, T.J. Armstrong, community relations officer for the Walker County Sheriff office, told Fox News they would not be caving to his request.

“It’s a very implicit no,” he said.

Fox News reported that since the complaint was received, the sheriff’s office has received “messages of support from across the country.”

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Sheriff Smith expressed his appreciation for the community’s support in a Facebook post on Dec. 6.

“I’ve made it no secret that faith is a driving factor including my work, and that will never change,” he wrote. “I don’t express faith to exclude anyone or make anyone feel less than. I express faith because it is the one thing that we can always fall back on in times of need and MY God has never let me down.

“I, and my office, treat everyone with respect, no matter their religion, race, sex, or anything else that doesn’t matter and I would never force religion on someone else.”

He added as sheriff, he will always give glory to God “because without him, none of this would be possible.”

“I truly believe that, and if someone else doesn’t, that’s ok,” he said.

 

In a post on his private Facebook page, Armstrong said what many Christians across the country are likely feeling.

“Proud to have a Sheriff that won’t bow to political pressure or the devices of the enemy!” he said.

In another post shared on Facebook, Armstrong pointed out that many of America’s founding documents refer to God and ask Him for help, a fact that undercuts many of the efforts undertaken by the FFRF, which claims to “promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church.”

“As Christians,” he said, “we are called to go into the world and preach the Gospel, not just to keep our beliefs inside the walls of a designated church building and edify each other in some inclusive fraternity, but to demonstrate the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ through our actions so that they can have eternal life.”

Good for him, and good for the Walker County Sheriff’s office for standing up to these bullies.

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