Chaplains Voice Support At U.S. Supreme Court For New Mexico Ten Commandments Case

CHAPLAIN ALLIANCE FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY August 14, 2017 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact CHAPLAIN ENDORSERS at info@chaplainalliance.org or call (571) 293-2427

Chaplains Voice Support At U.S. Supreme Court For New Mexico Ten Commandments Case

WASHINGTON — Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty filed a friend-of-the-court brief last week with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a New Mexico’s city’s ability to allow citizens to display a Ten Commandments monument among other historical monuments on public property.

The city of Bloomfield, New Mexico, provided a limited public forum for private expression in the form of monuments depicting the history and heritage of the city’s law and government on the lawn of its city hall.

“Language related to our nation’s history shouldn’t be banished from the public square just because someone takes offense at the fact that it happens to discuss religious material,” said Chaplain (COL) Ron Crews, USA (Retired), executive director of Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty. “We support the God-given, constitutionally protected freedom of every American to express their beliefs about religion’s role in history—in this case, in a public place that the city opened up for expression.”

The brief filed in City of Bloomfield v. Felix explains that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit’s ruling imposes special disabilities on speech discussing religion, placing it on an unequal footing with speech on secular topics.

As the brief states, "Specifically, Chaplain Alliance is concerned about this case’s impact on the ability of everyday Americans to use religious symbols like crosses, Stars of David, and crescent moons on government grave markers as a tribute to loved ones who gave their lives in combat on behalf of freedom.”

Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty is an organization of chaplain endorsers, the faith groups that provide chaplains for the U.S. military and other agencies needing chaplains. The endorsers in Chaplain Alliance speak for more than 2,600 chaplains serving the Armed Forces.

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