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Law Firm Helps Washington Kids' Ministry Beat City's Censorship

by Ed Thomas and Jenni Parker
January 10, 2005

(AgapePress) - A mistaken application of separation of church and state nearly cost a Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Chapter in the Evergreen State the chance to win children to Christ, and required the intervention of a First Amendment law firm to clear the roadblock. But now, upon demand, the City of Aberdeen has reversed its censorship of a public advertisement of The Jesus Film.

The problem began when Joyce Cunningham, director of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Pacific Heights, Washington, applied for permission to post a notice about a private showing of Campus Crusade for Christ's evangelistic Jesus Film on a public reader board at Aberdeen's Parks and Recreation Department. The City denied the request, insisting that the posting of such a notice could not be permitted under the establishment clause of the Constitution.

Aberdeen's "Community Event Sign Rules and Policies" ordinarily allows announcements to be placed on the city's public reader boards, as long as the event is open to the public and the announcement is approved by the Parks and Recreation Department. But, although the Jesus Film showing was open to all as required, the city still refused to approve the notice about the screening because of its religious content.
[Photo compliments of Liberty Counsel]
Mat Staver   

Cunningham called on Liberty Counsel, a public interest law firm and education organization, for help. According to attorney Mathew D. Staver, Liberty Counsel's President and General Counsel, the CEF director had been told that the very name of the film made publicizing it on the city's reader board unlawful.

"When she inquired and was told she couldn't advertise because of the word 'Jesus' in the Jesus Film, the city officials said that using the name 'Jesus' would be a violation of 'separation of church and state,'" Staver says. But in fact, he notes, it was the City of Aberdeen that was violating the constitution by censoring Cunningham's private message and discriminating against her religious viewpoint.

"Religious speech is not an orphan to the Constitution," the Liberty Counsel spokesman points out. "Protecting private religious viewpoints was the motivating factor behind the First Amendment." And after the law firm sent a demand letter to the city officials informing them that private speech about Jesus is not in fact unconstitutional, they backed down and allowed the notice to be posted.

Staver says the incident is a good lesson on how believers need to stand up and stand firm for their constitutional rights, especially since many local governments and attorneys across the United States are still refusing to acknowledge them. "Whenever these battles arise, we must take a stand," the attorney asserts. "We must make a difference. We must proceed forward on the principle so that the gospel can advance."

After the City of Aberdeen reversed its unconstitutional position, Cunningham's CEF chapter was able to advertise and present The Jesus Film to several children, who attended the screening with their parents' permission. The ministry director reports that 17 of the children who viewed the film made commitments to Christ.

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