Shelton resident Jerry Bloom has won a fight against the city to put up “Winter Sostice” banner in a public park saying gods and angels don’t exist.
Bloom sued the city after officials refused to allow him to put up the same banner in Constitution Park.
Now the sign sits within sight of three churches.
Bloom’s lawsuit, filed on his behalf by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, complained that the city allowed the American Legion to put up a religious display of “heralding angels” in Constitution Park, where Bloom originally wanted to put his banner.
The Constitution’s First Amendment includes the so-called Establishment Clause, which says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
In other words, governments can’t endorse a specific religion.
The lawsuit reasoned, as federal courts have repeatedly, that if the city allowed the religious display, it must also allow Bloom’s display.
As of Wednesday afternoon the lawsuit was still pending in federal court, with a “status conference” scheduled for next month.
But Bloom said Wednesday (Dec. 14) he plans on dropping the lawsuit because the city has allowed him to put up his banner on the Huntington Green, a few hundred feet from a nativity display sponsored by the Cub Scouts and Exchange Club.
Meanwhile, there are no more angels in Constitution Park.
“It’s a nice compromise,” Bloom said. “The upside to this is the angel light display in Constitution Park has been replaced by secular reindeer.”
In an e‑mail, the American Legion Post 16 public affairs officer said the angel display was changed because many of the bulbs in it burned out.
Bloom’s banner quotes FFRF’s founder Anne Nicol Gaylor, and reads: “At this season of the Winter Solstice, may reason prevail.There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”
It’s a far cry from “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
But Bloom said he got nothing but positive comments while putting the sign up this week.
“People were walking by, driving by,” he said. “There was no negative feedback from it. There’s a lot of closet atheists out there.”
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti said Wednesday he hasn’t received any feedback from residents about Bloom’s banner.
He said Bloom’s request was denied last year because his banner included a written message, which isn’t allowed at Constitution Park but is on the Huntington Green.
“We’re treating him the same way we treat everybody else,” Lauretti said. “He’s essentially allowed to do what he wanted to do … I don’t really see this as a big issue.”
That’s what Jesus would have done, Lauretti said.
“When you treat people the same way and you have a level playing field, is that not the Christian thing to do?” Lauretti said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean their views reflect mine and mine reflect theirs.”
Bloom hopes that the rest of the city’s believers follow Lauretti’s example.
“Three churches ring the green,” he said. “So we’ll see if it survives. I’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Here is a podcast interview the Valley Indy conducted with Bloom eight months ago.
