Members of the Summum faith – an interesting religion based in Utah – were unsuccessful in the Supreme Court in their effort to compel a local park to post a monument of their "Seven Aphorisms." They argued that because the park allowed a Ten Commandments monument, free speech principles require the acceptance of the Summum monument as well. The Court however ruled that because the monument is government speech, the city of Pleasant Grove is allowed to control the content of the speech.
Now, Summum brings their challenge to state court, arguing the state's prohibition on government promotion of religion disallows choosing to present one set of religious principles over another. AP reports:
The group’s attorney, Brian Barnard, argues if the state allows a Ten Commandments display, it should also allow the Summum monument. He says Utah’s constitution prohibits government support of religious instruction.
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The Washington D.C.-based American Center for Law and Justice, which represents the city, says governments can decide which monuments to allow. They are currently responding to the complaint…
You can read the ACLJ's take on the lawsuit here.
