Judaism established as the official religion of Florida
Posted on October 18, 2007
At least that’s what the ACLU is claiming. That would have to be what the ACLU means when it says Governor Crist has violated the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment, isn’t it?
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist views it as a sign of respect, but, for some, the mezuzah hanging outside his Capitol office has morphed into a controversial symbol….By hanging the mezuzah outside his office, Crist has effectively granted the government’s endorsement of a religious symbol, [Florida ACLU director] Simon said. In order not to discriminate against other religions, Simon said, Crist is now obligated to display icons of other religions or even those representing atheism.
At least the Florida ACLU has finally cleared that up and admitted that atheism is a religion. That’s a positive.
Crist hung the mezuzah, made of Jerusalem stone, outside his office after receiving it as a gift from Rep. Adam Hasner, a Jewish Delray Beach Republican who accompanied the governor on a recent trade mission to Israel.
Hasner bought the mezuzah, which contains a sacred script from the Torah honoring the 10 Commandments, in Israel and presented it to Crist after they returned to Florida….
At least one other Jewish lawmaker doesn’t see what the fuss is all about.
“I know a lot of people, Jews and Christians and Muslims, who put these on their door. It’s a good luck sign. For some people it has religious meaning. But I don’t think there’s anything improper about it. I don’t think it’s intended to proselytize,” said Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, who also traveled with Crist to Israel. “I don’t think there’s anything inappropriate about it.”…
“Not really. No, candidly. I understand the notion of separation of church and state. But you have a freedom of religion, not a freedom from religion. All I’m doing is attempting to be respectful and grateful,” said Crist, adding that he has no intention of removing the mezuzah from his office doorway.
“That’s a little surprising given the fact that he used to be the attorney general,” Simon said, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a series of recent rulings prohibiting courts from displaying the 10 Commandments and restricting governmental displays of religious symbols.
Simon says: the Supreme Court has prohibited this. I lose this round of Simon says, because I don’t read recent Supreme Court cases to do any such thing.
There is little point in noting that the ACLU’s positions on the Establishment Clause are getting absurd. They passed absurd a long time ago. One wonders if the Governor would be allowed to have the item inside his office. What about a photograph in his office in which a Star of David appears?
Also see Assorted Babble
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Church And State, News, Supreme Court
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It would probably depend on the prominence of the item.
My boss has no problem with me having some pictures on my desk. He would probably balk at a large poster on the wall. He would definitely balk at a large poster on the outside of the door. The same would be true of a religious item.
There is difference in principle between possessing an item for your own purposes and displaying it in a prominent manner.
When a government official has a relatively insignificant religious item in his office, no big deal. We all have personal effects at work. When the same official displays the same or similar item in a prominent way, he crosses the line by using his official position to promote the item and by extension, the religion.
You can argue all day about whether that constitutes “establishing a religion”, but I don’t have the time or desire for that and SCOTUS is on record as disagreeing with you, so you shouldn’t have much trouble understanding why the ACLU is on pretty safe ground with this one.
Oh, so it’s settled then. Thanks for that, Mr. Molby. Let the semitic artifact police begin their sweeps post haste.
Snark aside, I’d love to see where the Supremes ruled anything that would apply thusly to this set of facts. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong, and then I’d have a different problem about which to post.
Check the ACLU’s site. I’m sure they’ll point you in the right direction.
Missed this the first time…
If that’s how he felt, the whole “or even those representing atheism” part would be redundant. That’s pretty unlikely especially when you consider that he used the word “even”.
If he meant to convey that atheism was a religion, he would have said, “…of other religions, including atheism.” or “…of other religions such as X, Y, and atheism.”
he shoulda just put the mazuzah on the door post leading the new ACLU-endorsed non-denominational foot-bath.
It’s just a special souvenir from his trip to Israel, to a secularist. That the ACLU sees religious worship, or government endorsement of religion assumes that the religious people worship such things as if they were idols, yet Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all consider that a sin.
Further, an elected official’s office is more comparable to a judge’s chamber, or office, than a courthouse. It’s a totally different case.
Great stuff, as always!
Florida can establish whatever religion they want unless their own constitution states otherwise. The First Amendment definitely states “Congress” and not the “Florida Legislature”. On the other hand if you want to misinterpret the U.S. Constitution then feel free to make it say anything you want since one lie is as good as another. The ACLU obviously follow that deceptive philosophy.
Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.
And yet, Gov. Crist is not Jewish, is he? But why the outrage?
“According to halakha, the mezuzah should be placed on the right side of the door (from the point of view of the person entering the room), in the upper third of the doorpost (i.e., approximately shoulder height),[2] within approximately 3 inches of the doorway opening. ”
Sound like this is a religious item that is suppose to be hung outside the office door if he plans on placing it at that door. Although it is not a luck item like a horseshoe, it is an item to remind of the faith. I had to look them up to figure out what they are, but the cases I saw were very well crafted, very decorative. Since proper placement is a sign of respect, and improper placement is insulting, the polite thing to do is to place it properly on the door frame if you wish to display it for all to see.
I think I can overlook a small religious symbol on a doorframe if it makes others happy to see it there, even if I’m not of the faith.