Ed Young Senior Citizens Center who forbid seniors from praying before meals forced to change their policy due to outrage
This outrageous story broke over the weekend how a Georgia senior center called “Ed Young Senior Citizens Center” barred its elderly citizens from praying before meals. After the story went viral and inquiries from FoxNews.com and other news organizations, these left wing nuts were forced to change their policy. Residents at the Ed Young Senior Citizens Center in Port Wentworth, Ga., were told last week that instead of participating in a prayer, they should observe a moment of silence before their federally-funded meal. Officials from Senior Citizens Inc., which operates the center, had said the meals they provide to visitors are mostly covered with federal money — so saying a communal prayer before chowing down violated the First Amendment separation of church and state.
“We can’t scoff at their rules,” Tim Rutherford, Senior Citizens Inc.’s vice president, told the Associated Press. “It’s part of the operational guidelines.”
Rutherford, who did not respond to messages seeking comment on Monday, had said his company provides meals like baked chicken, steak tips and salads for roughly $6 a plate. Seniors who eat the meals pay 55 cents apiece, he said, with federal money footing the rest of the bill.
He said the moment of silence was introduced at the center to protect that funding. He insisted anyone at the center could worship whomever and however they please, but the decision to have a moment of silence was more than Port Wentworth Mayor Glenn “Pig” Jones could stomach.
“This country means a lot to me, but the part that I don’t respect is it telling me I cannot pray over my meal,” Jones said. “I can’t accept and look them 65- and 70-year-olds in the eyes and tell them they cannot pray and bless their meals.”
Jones had hoped to meet on Tuesday with the city’s attorney and officials from senior center to settle the controversy. But late Monday, officials from the senior center announced a policy reversal.
Comments
-
WilliamPenn
-
TAXPAYER
-
TAXPAYER
