Courthouse Jesus portrait draws ire, support

Courthouse Jesus portrait draws ire, support

Standing in the shadow of the Slidell City Court, a swarm of protesters congregated Tuesday night for a rousing and at times revival-like demonstration, denouncing the American Civil Liberties Union and offering a show of unconditional support for the controversial portrait of Jesus that hangs on the wall just inside the courthouse.

More than 250 local residents packed the intersection of Bouscaren and Fourth streets in Slidell which had been blocked off by authorities -- and spilled onto the grass that edges the courthouse to pray, cheer and hear speeches from several local pastors and State Rep. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, who organized the event.

Crowe seized on the opportunity to berate the ACLU, which has decried the portrait as a violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, saying it serves to advance a religious message using a public building.

"The people of Slidell are not going to sit back and take the stuff that got dished out," he said, eliciting a roar of applause from the crowd.

The picture, which shows Jesus holding an open book of scripture, was identified by a local priest as a 16th century Russian Orthodox icon. The scripture, written in Russian, includes a biblical quotation about judging correctly and wisely.

Beneath the portrait, a sign reads: "To know peace, obey these laws."

Attorneys with the ACLU believe that the display gives the impression that only those who believe in the law of Jesus Christ will receive justice in city court.

But protesters claimed that the portrait, which has been on display since the building opened in 1997, has never posed a problem and fairly represents the majority of residents in their largely Christian community.

"It's mighty late to decide they don't want it," said Jacqueline Battiste, of Slidell. "Something should've been done a long time ago. What makes it so different now?"

The gathering drew a range of attendees, from babies to teenagers to elderly couples who had arrived early and planted folding chairs on the asphalt.

"You know, (the ACLU) is picking on a small community," said Randy Lee, 60, of Slidell. A self-described Christian fundamentalist, he gripped a hand-lettered sign that read "In God We Trust."

"Christians are seen as very passive. It's time for Christian people to stand up and say, 'Hey!'"

The rally lasted about an hour and was peppered with prayer and shouts of "Hallelujah!" and "Praise Jesus!" Toward the end of her speech, the Rev. Kathleen Javery-Bacon, of the Holy Ghost and Fire Revival Ministries in Slidell, raised her arm to the sky while chanting, "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus" as the crowd echoed her cry.

The rendering of Jesus, posted high on a wall in the court's lobby, has been the topic of fierce debate since attorneys with the ACLU contacted city court officials last week, asking them to remove it.

Originally, the ACLU gave court officials one week to remove the display, threatening to sue if they did not comply by today.

The conflict has since cooled, after attorneys with the ACLU agreed to a two-week extension before filing suit, allowing the court to seek further counsel from a team of independent legal experts.

Still, protesters seemed baffled by the ACLU's actions, with some saying the portrait is merely an artistic expression, not meant to proselytize or promote Christian faith.

"It's beautiful," said Elizabeth Schneider, 52, who lives just outside Lacombe. "I don't think it was there to represent any one particular religion. You can go to a museum and see something comparable."

The clash at Slidell City Court isn't the first time a religious icon has driven a wedge between Louisiana public officials and the ACLU.

Last year, the ACLU questioned the legality of a Katrina memorial in St. Bernard Parish that included a stainless steel crucifix with an etching of the face of Jesus at its center. They backed off the issue after parish officials pledged to finance the project using donated land and funding as opposed to resources bankrolled by taxpayers.

In 2002, the city of Franklinton found itself the target of constitutional controversy, after the ACLU forced the removal of signs declaring, "Jesus is Lord Over Franklinton" from all city entrances, much to the chagrin of locals.

Residents of Franklinton, a rural city in Washington Parish, responded by blanketing private properties in the area with hundreds of bright blue signs that read, "Jesus is Lord of All."

The ACLU has also sponsored six federal lawsuits in 13 years against the Tangipahoa School Board, all involving the promotion of religion in schools.

Among other things, the board has been sued for allowing the distribution of Gideon bibles in the classroom and for sanctioning a teacher-led prayer at a recent high school graduation ceremony. Both actions were filed this spring in U.S. District Court in New Orleans and are awaiting trial.