DRIVERS on Maryland Route 450 or US Route 1 might be forgiven for wondering if Christianity is the official religion of Bladensburg. At a busy intersection in the town (population 9,148) stands a chunky 40-foot concrete cross. It is flanked by an American flag and is decorated with a small star. The words “valour”, “devotion” and “courage” are inscribed on the sides of the cross, but they are not easily visible from the road. There is no church in sight.
A few years ago, the American Humanist Association (AHA) and three residents of Prince George’s County, where Bladensburg is located, argued that the cross violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. In their lawsuit against the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission—the state entity charged with maintaining the structure—the plaintiffs, all non-Christians, complained that the cross offended them and violated the separation of church and state at the heart of America’s constitution. Last October, a three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of...Continue reading
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