Is the Dallas Mayor out of line

[whirlingmerc]

"Billboards promoting a celebration of faith and freedom at the First Baptist Church in Dallas were removed after complaints from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas Morning News.

The patriotic billboard campaign included the title of the sermon Dr. Robert Jeffress planned to deliver on June 24 – “America is a Christian Nation.”

https://www.toddstarnes.com/faith/c...ards-declaring-america-is-a-christian-nation/

Whether you agree or not... should not a church be allowed to advertise a viewpoint particularly one shared by past Supreme Court justices ?

 

[Subduction Zone]

"Billboards promoting a celebration of faith and freedom at the First Baptist Church in Dallas were removed after complaints from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas Morning News.

The patriotic billboard campaign included the title of the sermon Dr. Robert Jeffress planned to deliver on June 24 – “America is a Christian Nation.”

https://www.toddstarnes.com/faith/c...ards-declaring-america-is-a-christian-nation/

Whether you agree or not... should not a church be allowed to advertise a viewpoint particularly one shared by past Supreme Court justices ?

The mayor is right. Check out the treaty of Tripoli:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli

Unanimously signed by every Senator and signed by the president it clearly states that the U.S. is not a Christian nation.

 

[Sunstone]

People have a right to be intolerant of intolerance, and Pastor Jeffrees is nothing but intolerant. No doubt he's gotten rich from it, too.

 

[Cacotopia]

They should be allowed. But then so should every other religious/irreligious organization. But that one in particular is a false message.

 

[Polymath257]

"Billboards promoting a celebration of faith and freedom at the First Baptist Church in Dallas were removed after complaints from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas Morning News.

The patriotic billboard campaign included the title of the sermon Dr. Robert Jeffress planned to deliver on June 24 – “America is a Christian Nation.”

https://www.toddstarnes.com/faith/c...ards-declaring-america-is-a-christian-nation/

Whether you agree or not... should not a church be allowed to advertise a viewpoint particularly one shared by past Supreme Court justices ?

I wonder if the church wants to keep its tax exempt status, which limits its engagement in politics?

I suspect that this article isn't giving the whole story, but if it is, and the church wants to get involved in politics, it should be allowed to, but should also then pay taxes like the rest of us.

 

[Cacotopia]

Or rather historically inaccurate, America is a weird country, that perhaps it is called a Christian nation on the sole grounds that a majority of it's population is Christian, but it was founded as a secular nation. If you read the constitution "god" isn't in there. Lots of Christians like to conveniently forget this fact.

 

[Subduction Zone]

They should be allowed. But then so should every other religious/irreligious organization. But that one in particular is a false message.

The mayor did not do anything to end the meeting. He merely stated that it was divisive and incorrect. He probably does not want all of Texas to look ignorant and racist.

 

[Cacotopia]

The mayor did not do anything to end the meeting. He merely stated that it was divisive and incorrect. He probably does not want all of Texas to look ignorant and racist.

Too late.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Or rather historically inaccurate, America is a weird country, that perhaps it is called a Christian nation on the sole grounds that a majority of it's population is Christian, but it was founded as a secular nation. If you read the constitution "god" isn't in there. Lots of Christians like to conveniently forget this fact.

And very early in our history the founding fathers, at least in the form of the very early Senate and only second President of the United States clearly said that we weren't. Once again the Treaty of Tripoli:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli

 

[Revoltingest]

"Billboards promoting a celebration of faith and freedom at the First Baptist Church in Dallas were removed after complaints from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas Morning News.

The patriotic billboard campaign included the title of the sermon Dr. Robert Jeffress planned to deliver on June 24 – “America is a Christian Nation.”

https://www.toddstarnes.com/faith/c...ards-declaring-america-is-a-christian-nation/

Whether you agree or not... should not a church be allowed to advertise a viewpoint particularly one shared by past Supreme Court justices ?

I support the right of the church to advertise their beliefs.
I also support the right of the billboard company to refuse
to be the venue for messages they oppose.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

Alright.
1. For your sanity, please don’t read anything else from this Todd Starnes site. That is if you wish to, in any meaningful way, retain a grasp on reality.
2. God help us all if the Supreme Court of the USA actually agreed with the idea that the US is a Christian Nation, rather than the reality (and constitutional directive) that ours is a nation open for all religions and philosophies.
3. Why do you and the article keep saying that they are the “patriotic” billboard campaign. Again, if they say that the US is a Christian theocracy, then they are by definition trying to override our democracy, yes? That’s not very patriotic, is it?
4. I’m absolutely positive that the Todd Starnes site is NOT providing the full, and/or honest story, so deciding if the mayor or the church is in the right is hard to say.
which segues into...

....5. If the church paid money to have a privately owned billboard announce an upcoming speech/sermon topic, then I guess they should be able to keep it in place.
Although, (I’m no legal expert) I thought that the 1st amendment aspect did cut both ways. The government cannot promote one religion above any others....AND....places of worship are not allowed to promote political candidates or topics. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this last point one of the many sacred truths of the US constitution that Trump and his followers wanted to dismantle?

I will try to get some real coverage of the story and get back to you.

 

[Polymath257]

The mayor is right. Check out the treaty of Tripoli:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli

Unanimously signed by every Senator and signed by the president it clearly states that the U.S. is not a Christian nation.

You are correct, the US was NOT founded as a Christian nation. That was very explicitly said by many people at the time.

But this is a different question: does someone have the right to say things that are factually wrong? Does someone have the right to be publicly mistaken? Do they have the right to claim this country was founded as a Christian nation, even though we all know it wasn't?

Now, it is clear that this is being done for a *political*, not a religious reason. The goal is to tell those who are not Christian that they are not 'real Americans'. This is a position we should all reject. And we should do so publicly. But that doesn't mean we get to stifle those who are wrong.

Now, if the billboard company, on its own, and for its own reasons, decided to not put up that sign, that is its right. But the mayor of the town should not be stepping in to regulate this.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I also support the right of the billboard company to refuse
to be the venue for messages they oppose.

Too bad people don't let the poor off with that excuse.

 

[Polymath257]

Although, (I’m no legal expert) I thought that the 2nd amendment aspect did cut both ways.

First, not second. This has nothing to do with guns.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

First, not second. This has nothing to do with guns.

See? I told you that I was no legal expert.

My post has been amended. Thank you.

 

[Subduction Zone]

You are correct, the US was NOT founded as a Christian nation. That was very explicitly said by many people at the time.

But this is a different question: does someone have the right to say things that are factually wrong? Does someone have the right to be publicly mistaken? Do they have the right to claim this country was founded as a Christian nation, even though we all know it wasn't?

Now, it is clear that this is being done for a *political*, not a religious reason. The goal is to tell those who are not Christian that they are not 'real Americans'. This is a position we should all reject. And we should do so publicly. But that doesn't mean we get to stifle those who are wrong.

Now, if the billboard company, on its own, and for its own reasons, decided to not put up that sign, that is its right. But the mayor of the town should not be stepping in to regulate this.

The mayor did not order them to be taken down. The extreme far right news source the OP used was far from honest:

https://www.dallasnews.com/life/fai...as-america-christian-nation-billboard-removed

The mayor stated an opinion. That the ads were incorrect and divisive and he was correct in that. The decision came from the billboard company, and they cited an opinion piece, not the mayor, as the reason. I think you will find the article I linked a bit more reliable.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

The government cannot promote one religion above any others....AND....places of worship are not allowed to promote political candidates or topics.

That's not quite right. It's the 1st that states Congress shall not make laws favoring the establishment of religion nor impose on the individual right to freely worship. Churches can promote such things, but it's limited in how they are legally established at non-profits.

 

[Revoltingest]

Too bad people don't let the poor off with that excuse.

What excuse?

 

[Polymath257]

The mayor did not order them to be taken down. The extreme far right news source the OP used was far from honest:

https://www.dallasnews.com/life/fai...as-america-christian-nation-billboard-removed

The mayor stated an opinion. That the ads were incorrect and divisive and he was correct in that. The decision came from the billboard company, and they cited an opinion piece, not the mayor, as the reason. I think you will find the article I linked a bit more reliable.

Yes, I got that after a closer reading. I have no problem with the billboard company deciding not to put it up. And it looks like another did, so its not even an active issue.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

The mayor did not order them to be taken down. The extreme far right news source the OP used was far from honest:

https://www.dallasnews.com/life/fai...as-america-christian-nation-billboard-removed

The mayor stated an opinion. That the ads were incorrect and divisive and he was correct in that. The decision came from the billboard company, and they cited an opinion piece, not the mayor, as the reason. I think you will find the article I linked a bit more reliable.

Yeah. This preacher character, Mr. Jeffress, seems to be making up a story (a.k.a. lying) in order to drum up support through Fox News and such sites as Starnes. A Newsweek article reports similar findings as your Dallas News article. The billboard company and the mayor both deny any communication regarding whether or not the signs needed to come down.