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Saturday, May 28, 2011

VA backs off, will let pastor say 'Jesus Christ'

HOUSTON — The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department will allow a pastor to utter the name Jesus Christ in a Memorial Day invocation at Houston National Cemetery after he sued the agency, accusing it of censorship.

The agency's attorney informed U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes of the decision on Friday.

Hughes had warned the agency Thursday it could not "gag citizens," saying free expression includes everything from "Abraham Lincoln's speeches to Charlie Sheen's rants."

The Houston Chronicle reports Rev. Scott Rainey has invoked Jesus Christ's name in invocations at the cemetery during the last two Memorial Day services.

Last month, cemetery officials directed him to make the prayer "inclusive of all beliefs" and "non-denominational."

Rainey sued to keep the VA from censoring his prayer.

More Here: http://www.statesman.com/news/texas/va-backs-off-will-let-pastor-say-jesus-1502525.html?cxtype=rss_texas

And Here: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7583145.html

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