SoCal City Leaders Step Up to the Plate for Nat'l Motto, Mountaintop Cross
by Allie Martin and Jody Brown
July 29, 2004
(AgapePress) - A city councilman from Oceanside, California, is encouraging other believers who hold public office to take an uncompromising stand for God.Earlier this month, the Oceanside City Council voted unanimously to add the phrase "In God We Trust" to their city seal. The decision, described as "courageous" by a California-based religious freedom legal group, came almost two years after the move had first been considered. Oceanside councilman Jack Feller proposed the addition as a way to acknowledge the nation's godly heritage -- and he encourages other elected officials to take similar action and not worry about the repercussions.
"People who hear [about] this should tell their councils that this has never been overturned once it's been voted on," Feller says. "So they don't have to worry about the ACLU or these groups coming after them, and they should be proud to be putting God back in this country."
The city official points out the godly heritage of which he speaks. "It's in the Constitution -- our forefathers were believers," he notes. "So definitely, this country was founded on religious principles and beliefs."
Feller believes recognition of the nation's religious heritage should not be up for debate. "This shouldn't be an issue for us at all," he says. "We shouldn't have the problem that people are offended by this."
Along with the national motto, Oceanside's city seal will include the word "Liberty" displayed above the city's logo. The new city seal will be displayed in the council chambers.
Mt. Soledad Cross
Earlier this week, another Southern California city saw its city council decide to allow the local citizenry to decide the fate of an historic religious landmark. In a 5-3 decision, the San Diego City Council rejected a settlement offer to move the 43-foot cross from Mount Soledad; in addition, the vote places the issue on the local ballot. Under a plan proposed by the city attorney, voters will now determine if the land should be sold to a buyer who may then decide to retain or remove the cross.
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Brad Dacus |
The dispute over the cross began when an atheist sued the city in 1989, complaining that having the cross on city property violated both the U.S. and the California constitutions. Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute, based in Sacramento, applauds the San Diego City Council for standing up to those who for 15 years have been calling for removal of the cross."The Council demonstrated true leadership ... by refusing to succumb to the legal threats of secular activists who wills top at nothing to trample on religious freedom," Dacus says. San Diego voters, the attorney says, have the right to decide if public land should be sold -- "especially when the fate of a sacred symbol hangs in the balance."
The motion to put the issue on the ballot included a provision in the event that the voters reject the city attorney's plan. It would allow the city to accept a settlement agreement reached between the association and the originator of the lawsuit, to remove the cross to a nearby church.
