Council, don't preach [December 9]

Anyone reading The Washington Post Magazine got a detailed history of Rutherford Institute Founder and President (not to mention father of C-VILLE staff writer Jayson) John Whitehead in a story about a lawsuit filed by Fredericksburg City Councilman Hashmel Turner, an ordained preacher in the First Baptist Church of Love. After Turner concluded a prayer to open a council session with the words "In the name of Jesus Christ, we thank you for what we are going to do," the city council passed a formal ban on the invocation of any specific religious figures, to ensure that parties offended by Christ, Buddha, Vishnu et al. would not file suit against the city. The Post calls Whitehead "as much a contrarian as a Christian," and bills his mission as the prevention of a "bland, state-sponsored ‘civil religion,’" then lists a few of Whitehead’s greatest hits. Turner’s lawsuit, filed 14 months ago, is yet to proceed.

John Whitehead and the Rutherford Institute were featured in the Washington Post Magazine today.