Atheist Group Threatens Calif. City For Hosting Prayer Rally For Deceased 6-Y-O

An atheist group is reportedly demanding a California city halt its alleged affiliation with Christianity after the city hosted a prayer rally and planned to host town hall meetings at a local Christian center.

The American Humanist Association has reportedly demanded that the city of Stockton, California stop promoting Christianity after the city's mayor, Anthony Silva, hosted a city-wide prayer rally following the death of a 6-year-old girl shot and killed in a drive-by shooting.

Silva is also reportedly planning to hold city council meetings at the Calvary First Assembly of God and the Christian Life Center in the upcoming weeks.

"As a private citizen and resident of Stockton, I hosted a prayer rally," Silva told local media outlets of his decision.
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"The residents of Stockton, they want action, they want results, and if I have to do that through prayer, that's something I'm going to do," Silva continued.

The mayor went on to argue that it is impossible to please all residents when scheduling events like town hall meetings.

"You know, if I would have scheduled it at a high school, someone who likes charter schools over public schools might have said they don't feel welcome there because I don't believe in public schools [...] so I'm not gong to his town hall meeting at the high school.  We can't please everyone," Silva added to Fox 40 News.

The American Humanist Association has reportedly sent a letter on behalf of a local atheist group demanding the city stop affiliating itself with the Christian religion.

"Mayors and other public officials cannot use the machinery of the state to push their religious agendas," the association's senior counsel Monica Miller said in a recent statement. "Using the state to promote prayer violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and alienates community members of minority faiths and of no faith."

"This letter serves as a notice of the city and mayor's unconstitutional activity and demands that you terminate all promotion, sponsorship, endorsement or affiliation with Christian Life Center and any other religious organization immediately," the letter continues. "We also specifically demand that you find a secular venue for the upcoming town hall meeting and that you refrain from using Christian venues for such events."