An atheist organization is vowing to file an appeal after a court ruled in favor of the state of Florida and two faith-based halfway houses over a dispute surrounding private, religiously affiliated rehab programs. The Center for Inquiry released a statement on Monday calling the ruling by the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County, Florida, a “stark contrast to any reasonable understanding of the Florida Constitution,” and announcing the atheist organization’s intent to continue fighting the programs, which operate to assist ex-convicts.
“[The Center for Inquiry], an organization that promotes science, reason, and secular humanism, plans to appeal this decision, characterizing the ruling as legally flawed and, at its core, illogical,” the statement read. At the center of the battle has been atheists’ contention that it should be illegal under the state constitution for Prisoners of Christ and Lamb of God — two Christian organizations — to be afforded tax-payer monies; these programs are entirely voluntary for those who wish to participate. CONTINUE
