OPINION:
Boston is being sued because authorities barred a group, Camp Constitution, from flying its Christian flag as part of the city’s recent Constitution Day celebrations — a celebration that included the flying of 284 others, some of which displayed religious symbols, as well.
Think about that for a moment. Wasn’t Boston at the forefront of Americans’ fight for independence from Britain — a fight that was based largely on the quest for religious freedom? For specifically, Christian religious freedom?
My, how times have changed.
This country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, forged by biblical ideals. The entire government is grounded in concepts of freedom that come in no small part from the Bible.
To deny that is to deny not just America’s history, but also America’s greatness — the concept that in this country, rights come from God, not government.
This is where Boston is at, apparently.
On Sept. 17, 2017, city officials told Camp Constitution’s director and co-founder Hal Shurtleff that no, sorry, the Christian flag couldn’t be flown as part of the Boston-sponsored event because only secular banners were allowed. City officials said the same at the Constitution Day celebrations in 2018.
Camp Constitution has previously sued and lost.
But now it may have a case.
At the same time Boston officials denied Camp Constitution’s request to fly the Christian flag, city authorities gave permits that allowed the flying of the Catholic Church flag. The city’s also allowed at various times over the years the Turkish flag, with its Islamic star and crescent, to fly from City Hall; the Chinese Communist flag to fly from city properties, in commemoration of the Communist revolution; and other Vatican flags to fly.
“Yet, despite all of these many flag raisings containing religious symbols and imagery, and the city’s allowing the official flag of the Catholic Church, Camp Constitution’s proposed flag raising was denied because it was ’religious,’ ” the lawsuit states, Fox News reported. “There can be no dispute that the city’s denial impermissibly discriminated between religion and non-religion, and discriminated between religious sects. Both violate the Establishment Clause.”
More than that, Boston’s barring of the Christian flag violates common sense.
This country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. There’s a direct link between America and Christianity — a direct tie between the Constitution and Judeo-Christian principles.
A flag that represents Christianity is not just religious. It’s historical. It’s our government. It’s representative of our country’s DNA. And if Boston has a problem with that, it only shows how desperately city officials need a refresher course in U.S. civics.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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