ACLU v. Religion

California Seal

Posted above is the California Seal. Perhaps its most prominent feature is the image of Minerva, the Roman Goddess of wisdom.

Recently however, the ACLU sued the County of Los Angeles to force them to remove a tiny cross from the top corner of the Los Angeles seal. The county gave in, removed the cross and also changed the Goddess Pomona to a Native American. I'm left wondering what can possibly remain. It's only a matter of time before the California Seal above is challenged because of its "violation" of the separation of church and state.

We might as well file off the words "In God We Trust" from our coinage, remove "under God" from the pledge (which has already been tried). Chaplins serving in and paid by the armed forces should retire and Congress should refrain from its customary invocations.

The main problem I think is the Supreme Court's misinterpretation of the first amendment, and the adoption of the separation principle. Because of the court precedent, there is no reason the items mentioned above should remain.

Matt Comments:

The American Civil Liberties Union announces that it has intimidatedthe Pentagon into agreeing "to end direct sponsorship of hundreds ofBoy Scout units, which require members to swear religious oaths, onmilitary facilities across the United States and overseas."The ACLU press release quotes the group's Adam Schwartz: "If ourConstitution's promise of religious liberty is to be a reality, thegovernment should not be administering religious oaths ordiscriminating based upon religious beliefs." But of course, thegovernment was doing no such thing; the Boy Scouts are a privategroup. If you don't like what they stand for, don't join them.The ACLU used to be so committed to free expression that it would evenrepresent Nazis and Klansmen seeking to express their views. Butapparently they draw the line at the Boy Scouts.