Some seniors in Bozeman, Mont., have their voices back, after nearly losing the right to sing Christian songs before meals.
A few of their peers had threatened to call in the ACLU, but administrators did their homework and the singing can be heard again at the Bozeman Senior Center.
At first, administrators feared they might risk losing federal funding for a Meals on Wheels program. But Amy Smith, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), said when senior center board members contacted her group, they learned that the seniors are well within their rights.
"On Good Friday, they voted to reinstate the singing of songs before meals, and they were very pleased to do so,” Smith told Family News in Focus.
Kay Owen, a spokeswoman for Crossroads Ministries USA, said seniors in such a situation often fear another joy in their lives is being taken away. She said they deserve support and defense.
“Since they’ve already lost so many things in their life, like their spouse, their home, their friends," she said, "it's very, very difficult to continue to lose them.”
