In Aumsville, Ohio, there is controversy over the publication of the staff's team values on the city website. Americans United for Separation of Church and State is suing over one of the values: belief in God.
The claims by Americans United is that, even though the statement represents a leadership team's values, it represents the city's position. Claiming a "separation" argument is referring back to the First Amendment. But that only prohibits Congress from making a law respecting an establishment of religion. Some people feel that the 14th Amendment carries that down to the state level. Even if that is so (which is questionable in my view), no amendment that I know of carries the federal prohibition to the city level. And if it did, the prohibition would be against making a law, which this clearly does not.
Apparently the complaint is that the city leadership should not state any position on religion. One may feel that way, but there is no constitutional limit on such a thing.
As a reminder, here is information from a previous post about Ohio's Constitution (orig. in 1852):
Preamble:
"We, the people of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution."
Section 7:
"All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience... Religion, morality, and knowledge, however, being essential to good government, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass suitable laws, to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship, and to encourage schools and the means of instruction."
See the entire Ohio Constitution
Read more about the Ohio complaint here:Group opposes city use of 'belief in God'
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090805/COMMUNITIES/908050382/1133
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