Christian Group Sues the City of Boston Over Flag Rebuff
A Christian group has sued the city of Boston in federal court, claiming the city’s refusal to fly a Christian flag on City Hall Plaza is a violation of the group’s constitutional rights. Last year, according to court documents, Camp Constitution asked Boston officials for permission to raise a Christian flag on a city flagpole to go along with an event nearby, but was rebuffed.
“Government officials cannot single out a religious viewpoint for disfavored treatment to a public forum that is open to non-religious viewpoints,” said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a group suing on behalf of Camp Constitution. “The city’s censoring of religious viewpoints is not only unconstitutional, but also violates the historical and deeply held values of Boston, the commonwealth and the country.”
Camp Constitution describes itself as a Christian group with a goal to “enhance understanding of our Judeo-Christian moral heritage, our American heritage of courage and ingenuity, including the genius of our United States Constitution,” according to the group’s website.
A city spokeswoman declined to comment on specifics of the lawsuit. In a 2017 letter rejecting the application to raise flag, Greg Rooney, commissioner of the Boston Property Management Department, said Boston has a policy barring all religious flags.
“The City of Boston maintains a policy and practice of respectfully refraining from flying non-secular flags on the City Hall flagpoles,” Rooney said in the letter. “This policy and practice is consistent with well-established First Amendment jurisprudence prohibiting a local government from ‘respecting an establishment of religion.’ This policy and practice is also consistent with City’s legal authority to choose how a limited government resource, like the City Hall flagpoles, is used.”
In the lawsuit, attorneys for Camp Constitution argue other flags representing countries and causes, including Portugal’s flag, which references Jesus Christ’s wounds, have been raised without issue. Camp Constitution and Liberty Counsel say the city has no formal policy prohibiting religious flags.
More details at BOSTON HERALD.
Posted: July 09, 2018 05:38 pm
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Thank you for covering this story. For info about Camp Constitution, please visit ourweb site www.campconstitution.net and Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN7ME18Q1xiqcrPEn5h5FbA
By: Hal Shurtleff
Posted: 26-Aug-2018 10:48 pm
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