Family Research Council

Defending Faith, Family and Freedom

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November 4, 2011 - Friday

Sometimes no decision is the worst decision of all. As you may have heard, the U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to intervene at a defining moment for religious freedom in America. The Court chose to leave six states completely defenseless in the face of an aggressive campaign by atheists to sterilize the public square of any expression of faith. For 13 years, Utah's fallen highway patrolmen have been honored with roadside crosses as a way to honor the troopers' sacrifice and comfort their families. American Atheists, Inc. took the state to court for allowing a private association to memorialize the officers with its own dollars.

The Court's refusal to hear the case has severe implications. Every state in the 10th Circuit's jurisdiction -- and that includes Utah, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming -- is officially on notice. None of their crosses on public property will be tolerated either. This decision could have future implications for Arlington National Cemetery and other landmarks across the country. Of course, the irony is that these roadside crosses are not only constitutional, but they also represent the very values that our Constitution celebrates.

Click here to sign the petitionOn Thursday, our Values Voter Bus rolled into Murray, Utah to take our stand with the Utah state troopers. There we announced a national petition urging the courts, Congress, and state legislatures to stand with us in solidarity for national monuments and memorials across the nation.

The fact that America has even arrived at this point in this case points to how far our understanding of the Establishment Clause has fallen from its original meaning. The Founding Fathers erected several monuments of this nature -- and they obviously didn't see their Bill of Rights as a barrier to them! Please join us by adding your name to the more than 26,000 who recognize that the U.S. Constitution celebrates religious liberty -- not censors it!

 
 
 
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