“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us then who can be against us?”
~ Romans 8:31
After nearly a half-century – and one complaint – a plaque displaying a single verse of scripture (quoted above) at the Knoxville Police Department employee entrance will be removed, Mayor Madeline Rogero and Police Chief David Rausch announced at a press conference Monday.
As a consolation, Rogero said in a statement the piece will be moved to a new “Hall of Inspiration” at KPD’s headquarters in the Safety Building, “along with other inspirational writings from a variety of faiths and philosophers.”
In her prepared remarks, Mayor Rogero said, “We are not aware of any complaints or issues raised in recent history by KPD staff or members of the public. It has become part of KPD tradition, providing strength and comfort to our officers as they perform their daily – and often dangerous – duties.”
“I know that people both inside and outside City government are upset with this ending of a tradition,” she added. “As a person of faith, I understand and respect the passion that people feel for this issue. ”
The move is in a response to a letter by the leftist anti-Christian group, Freedom From Religion Foundation, who demanded the plaque be taken down due to alleged First Amendment violations.
The Knoxville News Sentinel obtained a copy of the letter – sent February 23 via email.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Letter-from-Freedom-From-Religion-Foundation.pdf”]
The letter is another in a shocking series of attacks by the group, colloquially known as FFRF, who proudly tout their victories squelching the free speech of others in their website’s News section. Since January 1 of this year, the group has posted a staggering 235 statements outlining the actions they’ve taken against people and organizations across the country.
Interestingly, the capitulation by the Knoxville Mayor – who has received a fair amount of notoriety recently for heading up one of the country’s worst-run cities – has not warranted a statement from the FFRF as of press time.
The News Sentinel reports a petition is underway to return the plaque to it’s original location:
Don Wiser, a retired KPD investigator who served for 23 years, fondly recalled the plaque being mounted after the agency moved into the Howard Baker Jr. Boulevard building in 1969.
“I believe in Jesus, and I believe that when they turn their back on Jesus that we’re going to be in bad shape,” Wiser said. “I think that, as wicked as our people are getting, I think that’s the wrong thing to do, to take that off there.”
“Jesus has made a place for us,” he continued. “But Satan’s got a place for you too, and it gets awful hot in his place. I like air conditioning awful well.”
An online petition to keep the plaque that was started early Wednesday had 222 signatures as of 11 a.m.
When does she go out of office? She takes the wrong side on most everything.
Is the KPD and City of Knoxville’s attorney serious? How is a Bible verse “establishing” a religion for the KPD? If the quote were from Confucius or Buddah, Ghandi or even Mao, would there have been any objection? No! KPD and the city of K would win this easily in court but this weak-spined attorney wouldn’t be the reason for a victory apparently. Fire the attorney, hire a fighter and fight this. Precedent and the 1st Amendment would be your best asset.
When I began reading this article, I knew almost instantly without looking, that this had to be the work of Freedom From Religion! They are BULLIES and people need to call their bluff!
Almost three years ago our small town was threatened with a lawsuit by Freedom From Religion bullies. They demanded that the nativity scene that had sat on the town square every Christmas for the past four decades, be moved. When town officials buckled at the threat, WE the people took matters into our own hands and formed a live nativity and stood on the town square every night for two weeks. What we did worked! The following Christmas, the nativity was back on the town square where it had been every year for the previous 40 years. Forget the Mayor, the people of this city need to stand up!
http://www.wbtv.com/story/27631234/protests-planned-after-nativity-scene-moved-from-nc-courthouse-square
Get her out of Office She is insane and as unAmerican as these people come she in Sedition to our laws and the Constitution of this country let alone we have enough issues with Islamics who should never been allowed by immigration law of 1952 into this country, in open on signs declaring war on America and its citizens Why is this woman not following her Oath of Office to Serve and Protect from both those who stand foreign and domestic who stand against what is right set upon this country by our founding fathers. She is a traitor to this Country along with Obama and Hillary. No wonder our country is imploding – idiots like her being elected to office. Elect me I would be better for the Office I’ll come live there.
So tell me, Democrat mayor Rogero, will you force KPD to hang this “inspirational” writing in the Hall of Inspiration?
“The first requisite for the happiness of the People is the abolition of religion.” author Karl Marx.
Even better, mayor Rogero, install a metal newsstand at KPD to hold a stack of the FFRF’s genuine “DeBaptismal” certificates which read:
“I, having been subjected to a Christian baptism before reaching an age of consent, or having submitted to baptism before embracing freethought and reason, hereby officially renounce that primitive rite and the Church that imposed it. I categorically reject the creeds, dogmas, and superstitions of my former religion, particularly the pernicious doctrines of ‘Original Sin’ and damnation. I further denounce as an affront and defamation to humanity the false and demeaning belief that any baby is born with ‘Original Sin’ and must be cleansed of it by baptism. From this day forward, I wish to be excluded from any claims of religious affiliation or membership based on baptismal records.”
There’s room for the debaptized’s police officer’s name, signature and date of debaptism “in the Year of No Lord.” The certificate is signed by Dan Barker, a former ordained minister who is now co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The motto at the bottom reads, “Freedom depends upon freethinkers.”
This should really help you get elected to another term……..
The United States Constitution does not state in so many words that there is a separation of church and state. The first part of the First Amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
This is just another vexatious and frivolous threat of ligation from haters of Christianity!
The constitution was written to stop US States imposing a state religious denomination upon their citizens as many new Americans fled such religious persecution in England & Europe!
In effect the litigants violate the “free exercise thereof” as no denomination is being favoured by the verse!
If she truly were a “person of faith,” she would stand up for that faith. Jesus said, “If you deny me, I will deny you to my father.” And I am sick to death of these groups and individuals TWISTING the First Amendment. The words, “separation of church and state”, ARE NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION. And the intent is to prevent the government from establishing ONE religion and FORCING the citizens to follow it. That is EXACTLY what our founding fathers left England to get away from.
She should step down for this.
you are correct seperation of church and state is not there, I heard a man say that several months ago, I went over and read it, the read does not say anything about seperation of church and state as for as I could tell. Those Freedom from Religion, needs to keep their ass out of stuff, they don’t even know what they are doing or saying any way.
Oh, but if it were a verse or two from the koran that would be OK.
I will be keeping my tickets to the LSU-UT game and not attending the game. That’s money that won’t be spent in Knoxville.