The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published January 16, 2019

Courthouse painting will remain in place

CAMDEN COUNTY - A threat from the Freedom From Religion Foundation will be “disregarded” for now, according to Presiding Commissioner Greg Hasty.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to County Clerk Rowland Todd in November telling him that two pictures “in your office” are a violation of the constitution and have to be removed.

The FFRF is an organization that seeks to destroy the belief in any god and eliminate all religious expression, particularly Christianity.

They claim to have a “member of your community” who filed a complaint with the FFRF over the two pictures. They also claim both are in the County Clerk’s office, which is not true.

One is and the other is in the courthouse hallway by the elevators and not in the clerk’s office. Todd has no jurisdiction on that painting.

Their letter describes the “offensive” items.

“Our complainant reports that two religious images are prominently displayed in your office in plain view of any person there to conduct business. The first is a framed New Testament verse, which reads: ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that one would lay their life down for another. John 15:13.’ Our complainant reports that this bible verse is displayed near the ballot box or absentee voting. The second display is a wall-length September 11th memorial that features a large Latin cross at its center. The cross is draped in cloth, similar to crosses displayed at Easter.”

Todd has since moved the one picture in his office to a location that is not visible to the public. The painting in the hallway is under the jurisdiction of the County Commissioners.

That painting is a representation of the September 11th Memorial and is a depiction of the 911 cross (or World Trade Center cross) that was found in the rubble of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

That cross has been placed on a concrete pedestal and is on display at the actual 911 memorial in New York City.

In 2013, U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts concluded that the 17-foot-high cross, which became a spiritual symbol for workers at ground zero, does not amount to an endorsement of Christianity.

In late July 2014, in dismissing a lawsuit filed by the dissenting atheists who did not want the cross displayed at the memorial, the 2nd U.S. Circuit ruled that, being “a symbol of hope” and “historical in nature”, the steel beams “did not intentionally discriminate” against the atheists.

After the initial story appeared in November 28 edition of The Reporter, 2nd District Commissioner Don Williams sent a letter to the editor (printed in the December 12, 2018 edition) in which he stated:

“I believe this group, like many atheist groups, is twisting both the meaning and the intention behind the religious-related language in the United States Constitution. Research into both the personal and professional correspondence of our Founding Fathers makes their motives in establishing the First Amendment crystal clear – their intention was to prevent the establishment of a state religion and to protect the free expression of religion. The Founding Fathers’ focus was freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. But throughout our national history, the brief, general nature of the wording in the First Amendment has been twisted and forced into promoting the cause of atheists who have removed God from our schools and from the public square. They seem bent on removing God from our culture, our society and from everyone’s daily life.

“This is born out by the atheist group’s objection to the 9/11 related painting in the hallway. That painting is a reproduction of an event that occurred naturally. The fact that, when the towers came down, two of the steel beams from the Twin Towers happened to form a cross, and the fact that many people take comfort from that, is objectionable to them.

“As it hangs in the hallway, the 9/11 painting is under the jurisdiction of the County Commission.

“The painting will remain where it is.”

Last week Presiding Commissioner Greg Hasty echoed Williams’ statements on his Facebook Page.

January 9, 2019
“Good afternoon all. I have received a letter from Michael Berry, Deputy General Counsel of the First Liberty Institute. They are the nation’s largest legal organization dedicated to defending religious freedom for all Americans.

“Based on their review, they find no violation of the Establishment Clause. They have encouraged us to ‘disregard the FFRF’s unfounded and inaccurate demand letter’”.

Several days before Hasty’s statement, (January 4) the FFRF issued a press release saying they are disappointed in the county’s failure to obey their threat.

“While FFRF is pleased that Camden County has taken at least one step towards constitutional compliance by removing the bible quote poster from public space, the concern surrounding the religious 9/11 memorial persists.

“FFRF’s position remained unchanged,’ McNamara says. ‘For as long as the cross painting remains in place, Camden County remains in violation of the Establishment Clause.’”

A public meeting by the County Commissioners last week in regards to this issue was heavily attended by members of the public and the media.

It’s almost guaranteed that they will sue the county but for now the Commissioners are standing firm and the painting is still in place.