The framers of the U.S. Constitution used 16 words in the First Amendment to address the separation of church and state, and we have been sparring over the meaning of that handful of words ever since. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …

The latest battleground is shaping up in Lehigh County where, after nearly two years of demands and threats, a religious freedom group and four county residents have brought a federal suit against the county over the use of a cross in its official seal and flag. The group contends that the cross shown in both violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment by "endorsing" Christianity.The county has previously said the claim is ludicrous and without merit. We strongly agree. In fact, most people didn't even know the existence of the cross until this tempest in a teapot blew up.In November 2014 and again a few months later, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent letters to the county asking it to remove the Latin cross. The county commissioners, who are the keepers of the seal, responded that they have no intention of removing the cross, because the cross does not mean the county sanctions Christianity as its official religion.Instead, the county responded, the cross is one of several symbols within the seal and flag that depict early traditions that led to the county's establishment. When the commissioners asked the county historical society to weigh in on the origin of the seal, a society representative said that the cross was included to honor the county's Christian settlers.We maintain that the county never used the seal as a way to proselytize in favor or Christianity or to use the seal for any religious purpose.The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation and the four county residents want a judge to rule that the cross in the seal is unconstitutional, enter a permanent order preventing the county from showing the seal and flag in its present depiction and give the plaintiffs "nominal damages" to repay them for the "injuries" to their constitutional rights and to compensate them for court costs and attorneys' fees.The foundation's attorney said that precedent-setting judicial decisions have held that religious symbols and images may not be included in official seals, because this implies that Christianity is favored over other minority faiths or over those who are atheists.The cross on the seal is not unlike the "In God We Trust" inscription on U.S. coins or the "One nation, under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.According to the historical society's records, Lehigh County Commissioner Harry Hertzog designed the seal, which was officially adopted by the county in 1944.In addition to the cross, the seal shows the American and Pennsylvania flags. A heart on the seal represents the city of Allentown, the county's and region's largest community and the county seat. This encircles two books and a lamp of learning symbolizing the importance of education. Buntings symbolize the once-thriving clothing industries that dotted the county. The Lehigh County Courthouse, the Liberty Bell, the head of a bison, a cow, a barn, farmland and smokestacks of a cement mill all symbolize the importance of farming, industry and rural open space throughout the county.In its refusal to remove the cross, the commissioners unanimously said they are four-square behind the principle of separation of church and state and insist that the cross is not a religious endorsement.In its official response to the Freedom From Religion Foundation's request to remove the cross last year, the commissioners said, "It is the position of Lehigh County that the presence of the cross on the seal, among all the other items of historical significance, has the secular purpose of recognizing the history of the county. As such, it does not violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Accordingly, the county is not planning on removing the cross from the seal."The Pennsylvania Pastors Network, along with more than 100 county residents, has spoken out in support of the seal and its cross, saying that the request to remove it shows "not only a hostility toward Christianity, but also gross ignorance of our nation's founding documents."We side with the Pennsylvania Pastors Network, which has come out in support of the county's position commending the commissioners' courageous stand in defense of the truth and religious liberty. The group's statement also said, "We stand with Lehigh County officials who have chosen not to cave to these threats, but to stand boldly for truth."Aside from the ridiculousness of this challenge, county taxpayers could be faced with the cost of changing each instance where the county seal appears, including on buildings, stationery, etc. This, along with the cost to defend the suit and any award to the plaintiffs, could wind up costing the county more than a quarter-million dollars.And for what? Politically correct silliness.Yet, if precedent prevails, the court may rule against Lehigh County. Earlier this year, in a long-awaited ruling, a federal judge agreed with plaintiffs who filed suit saying that it was unconstitutional for Los Angeles County supervisors to place a Christian cross on the county seal.The U.S. Supreme Court in a Texas case, however, ruled that it was constitutional for a display of the Ten Commandments on a monument that was given to the government at the Texas state capitol, saying that it was a "passive" display. We see the cross in the Lehigh County seal in the same light - a passive, historical display.By Bruce Frassinelli |

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