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Liberty Counsel stands ready to defend the City of DeLand, Florida, pro bono against an Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) challenge to the city seal. Today, Liberty Counsel sent a letter to city officials, rebutting the erroneous arguments of AU.

Unchanged since it was adopted in 1882, the city seal consists of a large heart, an anchor, and a cross. AU is complaining that the seal is an “unconstitutional establishment of religion.”

AU’s letter alleges that not only is the cross unconstitutional, so are the heart and anchor because they each symbolize “theological virtues” as set forth in 1 Corinthians 13:13 (faith, hope, and charity), and, therefore, the entire seal must be gutted of all three symbols.

In both Weinbaum v. City of Las Cruces and Murray v. City of Austin, the courts of appeals upheld the inclusion of a cross in the insignias of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Austin, Texas.

“[I]n considering the Establishment Clause challenge to Austin’s insignia, we must recognize the reason for the cross originally being in the coat of arms; that Austin did not have an improper purpose in adopting the insignia; its long and unchallenged use; its non-proselytizing effect; that in its context, it does not endorse religion in any true or meaningful sense of the word “endorsement”; and that requiring the City to remove all displays of the insignia, arguably evinces not neutrality, but instead hostility, to religion.” Murray v. City of Austin

Liberty Counsel stands behind the city of DeLand and its 131-year-old seal. To remove the cross from the historic seal would be absurd and demonstrate hostility toward religion.

Read our news release for more details and then head over to our Facebook page to let us know what you think. Also, check out this month’s Liberator.

Ten Commandments in American Law and Government

In courtrooms across the country, judges are ruling on whether or not it is constitutional to display the Ten Commandments in public places. Citing actual federal and state laws and constitutions, Mat Staver demonstrates how each commandment has had a strong impact on our laws and government since Colonial times.

This booklet should be on every judge's desk and in every citizen's home. Paperback, 16 pages. Request yours today for a suggested gift of $5.00.

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