Live Oak — The director of a Lake City-based atheist group excited emotions when he held up posters of emaciated children and a young amputee victim, and told Live Oak City Council members that they pray to a “prolific child murderer”.

“Your God wills 30,000 children per day to death,” said Randy Lewis, director of Atheist of North Florida based in Lake City. “Your God is a prolific child murderer. He murders children everyday.”

During Tuesday night’s council meeting, Lewis protested the meeting’s opening with prayer and said council members are violating the Constitution’s call for separation of church and state.

“Religion doesn't belong in a government building," said Lewis.

Lewis said he and other organizations have requested that the council observe a moment of silence, instead of having prayer.

“We have basically been told to bug off,” he said.

But Lewis’ complaint quickly turned to assault on religion.

“I’m here to talk about prayer. Since you want to bring up God, let’s do that. Let’s bring up God,” he said.

“What do you mean? When we pray that’s what we do, we’re bringing him up,” said Council President Bennie Thomas.

Lewis responded: “It seems you gentlemen put yourself on a really high pedestal when it comes to your plagiarized God.”

Lewis held up posters showing disturbing images of emaciated children and an innocent victim of war.

“This is the result of religious wars. You see, no arms? They got blown off. Do you see his prayers being answered?” asked Lewis.

Councilman John Yulee asked Lewis to explain what he believes.

“I believe in nothing, you live and you die,” he replied.

“Okay, that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it,” said Thomas.

Lewis said his mission is to stop prayer in government buildings, not to come against prayer in general.

“If someone tells you that you can’t go to your church and you can’t pray in your home, I will be right there beside you in telling them to bugger off,” Lewis said.

This is not the first time local officials have been attacked by Lewis for their displays of religion.

His group has targeted the city of Live Oak and Suwannee County Commissioners for having prayer at public meetings. Lewis also criticized Suwannee County Supervisor of Elections Glenda Williams for placing voting booths inside churches. Lewis has also claimed that religion is “rampant” at Suwannee High and Suwannee Middle school.

But Lewis’ attack on Live Oak City Council may be in vain, according to information provided by City Attorney Erny Sellers.

Sellers said previously by email and reported in this newspaper that “prayers at City Council meetings (are) constitutional ... if properly performed.”

In Marsh v. Chambers and Pelphery v. Cobb County, federal courts have held that “a city council could either 1) have a single appointed individual open their meetings with a nonsectarian, non-denominational prayer; or 2) allow volunteer leaders of different religions (and denominations), on a rotating basis, to offer invocations with a variety of religious expressions.”

Tuesday night, Thomas told Lewis that until he is handed a federal mandate to stop praying, the council will continue to begin their meetings with prayer.

“Is that what it is going to take?” Lewis responded.

The council meeting was adjourned with Lewis still standing at the podium.