“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask…” In these challenging times, no one needs more guidance in their jobs than our leaders. Sadly, the Left is doing everything it can to keep them from asking for it! In the House Agricultural Committee, the majority party is acknowledging that someone else is in control: God.

As proof of the change that Congress has undergone since the last election, Chairman Michael Conaway (R-Texas) has decided to kick off every meeting with a prayer. “We’ve got a lot of meaty things to deliberate on,” Rep. Conaway told reporters, “and invoking God’s wisdom and guidance on our deliberations is, I think, the proper thing to do.”

Of course, not everyone agrees. National atheist groups are convulsing over the idea, which – the Supreme Court ruled last year – is perfectly constitutional. With the chisel of political correctness slowly chipping away at the First Amendment, the justices agreed that it was entirely within a legislature’s rights to ask for God’s blessing – as long as no one is forced to join. And if opening prayer is good enough for Greece, New York, then surely it’s good enough for the U.S. Congress!

Despite all of this, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is desperately looking for a way to shoot down Conaway’s tradition, insisting that it’s time “to reassess the concept of civil religion.” Rob Boston, one of the group’s spokesmen, had a tough time making any legal arguments stick, so he resorted to politics. “The best we can say is that this kind of praying isn’t all that religious, but just a public display of piety to score political points. Still, it sends a message of exclusion to people who aren’t of the same faith as the person praying.”

Frankly, with all that’s going on in the world, we should be glad that Congress is asking for guidance of any kind! And it’s not as if the idea is unprecedented. Former Congressman Todd Akin used to open each Subcommittee meeting with a prayer that he offered. When liberals tried to make an issue of it, the Missouri Presbyterian just brushed it off. “We start Congress with a prayer, and I think it’s a good idea to ask the Lord’s blessing,” he told Roll Call. “It gives us a sense of being respectful to each other.”

At a time when so many people’s beliefs are under attack, is there any better display of the religious freedom we’re fighting for? I’m thankful for leaders like Conaway, who recognize that bowing to God is more important than bowing to political correctness.

Congress Smokes out Mayor over Fire Chief

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has burned a lot of bridges with his decision to sack city Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran. And now, if the public relations battle weren’t tough enough, six Georgia Congressmen are weighing in with a candid letter about Reed’s intolerance.

Cochran, whose 30 plus-year career ended abruptly last month, was targeted for a self-published book he wrote on biblical morality and sexuality. And while the city has insisted Cochran’s firing had nothing to do with his faith, the evidence tells another story. While Kelvin and his family fight the battle from the courts, Congress is jumping to the former Obama appointee’s defense too.

“Your action against Chief Cochran appears to violate fundamental principles of free speech and religious freedom,” wrote Reps. Barry Loudermilk ®, Buddy Carter ®, Lynn Westmoreland ®, Tom Price ®, Austin Scott ®, and Jody Hice ®. “Chief Cochran relied upon religious text from the Bible to express his opinions in his personal writings. The only way Chief Cochran could avoid his views would be to disown his religion. Indeed, in terminating him, the City of Atlanta itself engaged in an act of discrimination, and worse, did so on the basis of his religious beliefs.”

As fellow Georgians, they’re leaning on Reed reconsider his decision and reinstate the popular fire chief. “Chief Cochran notes that the city justified his termination on the grounds of ‘tolerance’ and ‘inclusion’ yet asks, ‘What could be more intolerant and exclusionary than ending a public servant’s 30 years of distinguished service for his religious beliefs?’” If the Mayor won’t listen to common sense, maybe he’ll listen to Congress!

Home at Last…

When Mariam Ibraheem’s story of captivity in Sudan started making headlines in the U.S., hearts went out to the young mom of two. Together with Hill leaders, other international groups, and people like you, FRC worked for months on Mariam’s release. In an answer to the prayers of millions of people, Mariam was not only freed but flown to the United States, where she and her husband Daniel are making a new life. America adopted the family before they even touched down on U.S. soil, but today, the country is making it official.

[Tuesday], we got the incredible news that Martin and Maya, the couple’s toddler children, have finally been granted U.S. citizenship – the culmination of a lot of hard work from attorneys and other faith-based groups involved in her case. We couldn’t be happier to welcome these living legacies of Mariam’s courage into the U.S. family. Throughout this whole ordeal, faithful friends like you have prayed for, contributed to, and followed the Ibraheems’ story. Our deepest thanks to all of you who stood with us as we worked on Mariam, Daniel, and the kids’ behalf!

Long Time, No SPLC

In a clash with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Dr. Ben Carson took down the SPLC’s claims with almost surgical precision. The miserable excuse for a “civil rights” group launched a desperate attack against the conservative doctor for his biblical views. But it was Dr. Carson who had the last word. The news ignited a national firestorm, which heaped criticism on the SPLC and sparked even deeper doubts about the group’s legitimacy and credibility.

In an almost unprecedented move, SPLC caved under the heat and announced that it was removing Carson from its extremist “watch list.” The victory came just hours after we launched a “Stand with Ben Carson” petition, which was quickly signed by more than 20,000 people. Now that the radical group has crawled back into its hole, Dr. Carson is going on the offensive, calling out the organization for its own extremism.

“They were highlighted for the hypocrites and the bigots that they are,” he told a Palm Beach crowd. “Conservatives are the most compassionate people, because they’re the ones who expect people to work and to improve themselves, and to develop the talents God gave them so that they can partake of the American dream,” he said. “The people who are not compassionate are the ones who pat people on the heads and say, ‘There, there you poor thing. I’m going to give you health care and housing subsidies, and food stamps and everything you can imagine. You just sit down and relax and vote for me.’ …That is actually cruel and condescending because it creates a dependency in people.”

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This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.