Atheists launch bid to outlaw prayer at council meetings

Secular campaigners are launching a legal bid to outlaw the tradition of councils beginning their meetings with a Christian prayer by claiming it infringes the human rights of non-believers. The National Secular Society (NSS) is taking a council in North Devon to court for a judicial review of the time-honoured practice which is shared by at least 118 councils around the country. Christian groups have branded the move an attack by “aggressive atheists.” The majority of councils currently opt to start meetings with a Christian prayer, while a handful open with prayers from other faiths. The NSS has hired Beachcroft, the leading legal firm, to launch the judicial review against Bideford Town Council, which has begun its meetings with prayers since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I... Telegraph