California is finally serving up some justice for its non-believers. The Los Angeles County Seal currently has a Christian cross on it. A Federal judge has ordered that it be replaced by a version without the cross.
The cross was on the seal from 1957 to 2004. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to take the cross off at that time.
In 2014, the state put the cross back on its county seal. They did this despite all of the complaints against it. Critics said this measure is un-constitutional as it favors Christianity over other beliefs. The proponents of the law said that it is an ode to the San Gabriel mission, and that mission is part of their history.
In 2004, the Christians wanting to put the cross back on said that removing the cross was an attack on their faith. Seriously, guys?! Following the Constitution by not promoting ANY religions is not an attack on your faith.
The truth of the origin of the cross was revealed in multiple emails. One of the legislators wanting to add the cross, Mike Antonovich, said that opponents of the cross were “church burning” and “storm troopers.” (Let’s leave Star Wars out of this, guys!) They also described a newspaper as “secular extremist.”
After reinstating the cross two years ago, the ACLU sued to remove it. The Judge Christina A. Snyder had this to say about the ruling:
“The county also provides a platform for broadcasting that imagery on county buildings, vehicles, flags, and stationary.… Permitting such a change and the associated expenditure of public funds places the county’s power, prestige, and purse behind a single religion, Christianity, without making any such benefit available on an equal basis to those with secular objectives or alternative sectarian views.”
She also said that restoring the cross would place:
“the county’s power, prestige and purse behind a single religion, Christianity, without making any such benefit available on an equal basis to those with secular objectives or alternative sectarian views.”
Hopefully, we can keep the cross off this time.
Featured image by Kevin Stanchfield via Flickr, available under Creative Commons 2.0 license.
