Ministry denied access to public square
by Ed Thomas
February 19, 2007
(OneNewsNow.com) - - Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of "Care and Share," a Newark, New Jersey-based Christian ministry, against the village of South Orange. The village is being sued over allegedly refusing to allow the faith-based group use of a public square that is available to non-religious community groups, public and private.According to the plaintiff's attorney, Alliance Defense Fund's Demetrios Stratis, Care and Share wanted to hold a public event at the square that included skits, puppet shows and live music, but the request was denied. An e-mail message, reportedly from a government administrative assistant, confirmed last June that religious groups would not be approved.
Stratis says South Orange officials allegedly denied the Christian group access because only private or public non-religious groups were allowed. However, he points out, government officials do not have the right to discriminate against faith-based groups.
"The village officials, when they open up the public area for any types of members of the community, then they have to be fair and allow all groups to have access," the ADF attorney notes. However, South Orange officials denied Care and Share's request, he contends, even though they permitted a biker group known as Road Devils, NJ (New Jersey) to use the square for an event that included alcohol, live bands singing songs with vulgar lyrics, and female mannequins dressed in only underwear.
'Apparently, to the powers-that-be in the village of South Orange, ‘Road Devils' are in and caring and sharing is out,' Stratis stated in an ADF press release. He went on to say that he hopes the local officials will change course, obey the law, and allow the Christian ministry equal access to use the village's facilities just as other groups are permitted to do.
