Florida city's declaration for Jesus draws ire of ACLU

By The Associated Press,
freedomforum.org staff

12.29.01

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AUBURNDALE, Fla. — A mayoral proclamation declaring "Auburndale for Jesus" has drawn the favor of local pastors and the ire of civil libertarians.

Mayor Bill Sterling defends his action, saying the proclamation is just a piece of paper with no authority.

"We don't feel like we've violated anybody's civil rights," Sterling said.

The American Civil Liberties Union, however, says it is a constitutional violation of the separation of church and state.

John W. MacKay, a Tampa lawyer, has threatened to sue the city of 11,079 residents and the mayor.

"Obviously, this proclamation goes to a particular religion — Christianity," MacKay said.

Sterling said he signed the proclamation at the request of local pastors and read it at an Aug. 26 rally wrapping up a week of prayer. He said the pastor at his Methodist church sent the information to the city manager's office. The proclamation was prepared and the mayor signed it.

"People have a right to believe the way they want to believe," Sterling said. "If a Jewish group or a Muslim group wanted a proclamation from the city, they would get it."

The proclamation urges "all Churches and religious organizations to unite as Jesus' hands and heart to strengthen moral values, to pray for and to work to save and transform the lost, the broken and the sin sick, making Auburndale a better place by God's spirit in you."

MacKay said under the First Amendment a government cannot come out on the side of a particular religion or a religion in general versus no religion.

He said it also violates the Florida Constitution because government funds cannot be used for religious purposes to print a proclamation.

Meanwhile, the mayor of another Florida city is under fire for issuing an official proclamation banishing Satan.

The St. Petersburg Times reported earlier this month that Inglis Mayor Carolyn Risher placed copies of the edict in hollowed-out fence posts at the town's four entrances.

According to the Times, the edict stated, in part:

"Be it known from this day forward that Satan, ruler of darkness, giver of evil, destroyer of what is good and just, is not now, nor ever again will be, a part of this town of Inglis. Satan is hereby declared powerless, no longer ruling over, nor influencing, our citizens."

The town attorney said Risher shouldn't have printed the proclamation on official letterhead, the Times reported.

The newspaper also said that Inglis resident Polly Browser, who is organizing a petition to have Risher removed as mayor, said she had been contacted by the ACLU of Florida.

"The woman has broken the law, and nobody notices it," Browser told the Times. "She took separation of church and state and blew it out of the water."

Update

ACLU threatens to sue mayor for banning Satan
Civil liberties group says it will back down if Inglis, Fla., officials repeal edict, remove proclamations from posts that sit at town's entrances.  01.26.02

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