May 27, 2004

Dear Daily Union,

When I attended the mayoral forum on February 10, 2004 at Countryside's multi-purpose room, I was shocked to see a cross and altar dominating the front of the room directly behind the candidates. It made this public place feel like a Lutheran church. I knew that according to the First Amendment of the Constitution and dozens of Supreme Court cases, it is not the job of government to promote religions.

This is a difficult issue because Countryside Home is a residence. It is literally “home” for many people and they have a right to religious expression. It is also supported with public funds, so the County also intended it to be a public space for any groups that want to use it. The County can't favor either group.

The March 9 story in the Daily Union made it sound like the Immanuel United Methodist Church had paid $1,000 for the cross. The skeptical reporter in me wanted to double-check. Permanently installing large Christian symbols in public places with public funds doesn't strike me as kosher, either.

I discovered that the cross, altar and lectern had been purchased by the County many months before the Methodist donation. The County spent money from the Resident's Fund, which comes from bequests and donations. This fund pays for the aviaries and aquariums, for example. It is still County money, not a separate non-profit organization. The County solicited donations to this fund to decorate and beautify the new Countryside Home because there was no money in the budget to pay for all this.
Not only did the cross cost $1,000, but $3,000 was spent to remodel an altar from the old building into a smaller version, and $2,000 was spent on the new lectern. The Methodists donated $1,000 for the cross and a Countryside resident donated another $1,000 earmarked for the cross. The remaining $4,000 was taken from general donations.

All in all, the County spent $6,000 on religious materials. I think the Board of Trustees was surprised to see that so much had been spent in this way. They delegate these decisions and did not know all these details until I requested the receipts. I don't blame the staff and volunteers who oversaw this purchase. I'm sure they meant well.

The woodworker did a nice job of remodeling the altar. It has a cross in its design. The lectern is high-quality and free of symbols. If the County wanted to buy a new wooden lectern, many office furniture stores sell them about $800. The cross seems very over-priced, too. It looks like it was made of pine 2x4s, carved and stained. It weighs only a few pounds.

I fully support the use of this room by religious groups. These services are a dedicated volunteer effort of the clergy of our community's churches to fulfill the spiritual needs of those Countryside residents who wish to attend their respective meetings. Indeed, Countryside's therapists are required by Federal regulations to insure that residents have access to religious services, cultural expression and recreational interests.

The regulations do not say “hang a cross on the wall,” though. No one has been able to show me that Countryside's staff has ever tallied the religious preferences of residents based on that blank space on their intake paperwork. Even if a majority listed a Christian religion, it does not give them a right to hold a “majority wins” vote to determine which religion's symbols can be placed on the walls, or to use County donations to purchase them.

It is interesting to recall that when the Founding Fathers wrote the First Amendment, the persecution of Methodists was fresh in their minds. In the Virginia Colonies, Methodists were thrown in jail, whipped, and tarred and feathered for their pacifist beliefs and their refusal to worship in the Church of England.

It is my position that the County should not be buying or owning the icons of any religion, nor should it be installing them permanently in public spaces. It doesn't matter if the materials are donated. The Constitutional problem lies in their endorsement of religion, not the source of funds.

I see a simple solution. I think it's reasonable for Countryside to provide a non-public storage place for these religious groups to store the crosses, altars or hymnals they need for their weekly services. The altar is already on wheels. The cross could be put on a portable stand. They shouldn't be left out when bingo or exercise classes or mayoral forums are using the multi-purpose room. The religious meetings only use half of the room for a few hours a week.

As Earlene Ronk mentioned in a Board meeting, it's a bit sacrilegious to use an altar as an ordinary table to hold bingo prizes. I don't like the “cover them with a curtain and drape” proposal because it still leaves the cross and altar in a favored position. It would be far too easy for someone to forget to cover them after a service and then we're in the same situation.

We need to create and foster a space that is accommodating to all. Residents have always been free to hang religious icons in their own rooms. They don't need to overflow into the public areas. What does this cross and altar say to a prospective non-Christian resident or a public user of this space? Countryside needs to be open to Jews and Christians of all varieties, to believers and non-believers.
The government should not be favoring any one group of users of this room over another, particularly regarding an issue as deeply personal and potentially divisive as religion. The First Amendment says the government needs to stay out of religious matters in order to protect everyone's freedom of religious expression. It prevents any one religion or sect from overpowering another through government-sponsored action.

I trust the Countryside Board of Trustees to formulate a new policy regarding religious expression and greater oversight of the Resident's Fund. I aim for a resolution, not pursuing blame. I recognize this is a difficult issue to solve. I appreciate their extraordinary effort in discussing this at their last four meetings and now in this public forum. Their comments have been perceptive and they recognize the legal issues at play. Phil Ristow has done a great job of explaining recent Supreme Court and Federal court cases on this issue. I think the Board understands that the County should not be purchasing religious items.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the public forum. My son's kindergarten graduation ceremony takes place at the same time and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

I welcome anyone to call me at 674-5200. I would be glad to meet another time at Countryside in the multi-purpose room to discuss the issues.

Sincerely,

John Foust