City reverses ban on Bible-verse paintings

Posted on June 3, 2006

A Colorado city backed off on its decision to remove two paintings from public display that contained Scripture verses.

The decision by city-of-Delta officials followed a lawsuit filed by attorneys with the Arizona-based public interest legal group Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of artist Sharon Marolf.

“Christian artists should be given the same opportunity as everyone else to display their work in public,” said ADF Legal Counsel Brett Harvey.

The attorney said Delta “recognized that to continue their ban on this artist’s paintings would mean continued violation of her constitutional rights.”

One of the paintings features Marolf’s granddaughter and a quote from Psalms expressing the artist’s views about the value of a child. The other painting, titled “Circle/Squares,” displays Scripture passages that reference circles and squares.

The two pieces were displayed at a city recreation center before someone complained of being offended by the Bible verses. But ADF noted Delta city officials frequently open the Bill Heddles Recreation Center hallways and rooms for the posting of artwork by local citizens.

ADF said the complaint [pdf file] was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado after city officials refused to allow Marolf to redisplay her paintings despite having received a letter from ADF attorneys explaining the violation of her constitutional rights.

But after the lawsuit, city officials took a closer look at the law protecting artistic expression and invited Marolf to re-display her artwork at the city’s recreation center, ADF said.

» Filed Under Church And State, News

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3 Responses to “City reverses ban on Bible-verse paintings”

kerwin_brown on June 3rd, 2006 6:42 pm

The city might have gotten away with that act of opression but then again it might have added more fuel to the fire.
CaptainRational on June 3rd, 2006 10:03 pm

They should put Ezekiel 23:20 and Deuteronomy 28:53 (cross-referenced in Leviticus 26:29; 2 Kings 6:28, 29; Jeremiah 19:9; and Lamentations 2:20 and 4:10) on the walls. Those have always been among my favorites.
kerwin_brown on June 5th, 2006 2:10 pm

Do you even understand those passages? Ezekiel 23:20 is speaking of how the Hebrew people have gone astray and Deuteronomy 28:53 is speaking of the horrors of war that will be suffered by the Hebrew people if they choose to disobey God.

Look at the United States that is currently acting like a slut and has managed to kill off their own people to such an extent that a pro life invasion from Mexico has a good chance of overwhelming the natives. We have committed infanticide and deserve to be wiped out by the invaders but perhaps if we change our heart and our actions then we will survive. If not we will go the way of the North American Indians before us. That is only what we disserve.