Florida City Has 'Change of Art' After Banning Christian's Paintings
by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
February 22, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A Florida city has reversed an earlier decision and will display paintings previously censored because of their religious themes. Earlier this month, the city of Deltona allowed city employees and citizens to submit artwork for a display in celebration of Black History Month. Local resident Lloyd Marcus offered a submission but was told his paintings, which featured Christian motifs, could not be displayed due to the concern that they violated the First Amendment's establishment clause, the so-called separation of church and state.
Marcus contacted Liberty Counsel, an Orlando-based litigation, education and policy organization that specializes in cases that involve religious freedom and other pro-family issues. After reviewing the matter, the legal group intervened on the Christian artist's behalf, sending a letter on February 9 to Deltona's acting City Manager/City Attorney, Roland Blossom, advising him that the Christian artist's paintings did not violate the First Amendment.
Mr. Blossom responded, insisting that he remained concerned over church and state issues. Next, Liberty Counsel sent a February 14 demand letter to Blossom and to Deltona's Mayor Dennis Mulder asking that the paintings be displayed by noon the next day. The demand was rejected, however, and the City Manager/City Attorney countered with an offer to allow display of Marcus' artwork in the city commissioners' chambers, in a room usually off limits to the public but that would be opened up for the purpose of the display.
Liberty Counsel refused Blossom's counter offer, calling it a 'separate but equal' treatment of free speech that would have segregated Marcus's art from the other community paintings solely because of its religious viewpoint. Instead, Liberty Counsel filed suit asking the court to order Deltona to repost the faith-themed paintings alongside the others submitted for the Black History Month display.
Attorney Mat Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, says Deltona officials quickly reversed their position and allowed Marcus' paintings in the exhibit. "What played into the decision and caused them to change their mind was the federal lawsuit," he says.
"They would not respond to our two letters favorably," Staver explains. "The offers by the other city mayors to pose these paintings were already outstanding -- that did not make them change their mind. But what did make them change their mind is when we walked into federal court and asked for the court to set an emergency hearing."
When the city officials were "facing the prospect that they were going to court and that this would cost them a significant amount of money, they reversed their position reluctantly," the pro-family attorney points out. It was only then, he notes, that the Deltona authorities apparently realized they would not be violating the constitution by displaying the religious-themed art.
"Ironically, other mayors in the area offered to display the paintings in their own cities," Staver adds. "And so, what Satan tried to push under a bushel basket God has now announced around the country and, indeed, even around the world -- that these paintings regarding Christian history as part of black history are indeed constitutional and must be displayed."
Marcus submitted three paintings for the Black History Month exhibit. One displays a partially covered Bible and a church sign; another depicts a festive New Orleans funeral, and a third shows a minister and two other people delivering a Christmas basket to a poor family. The paintings are from the Christian artist's published series entitled, "STOREFRONTS: Fond memories of growing up in my minister dad's east Baltimore church."
