An atheist organization is protesting the display of a Ten Commandments painting in the office of a Kentucky county clerk.
ChristianToday.com reports that the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Trigg County Clerk Carmen Finley, alleging that the painting she had displayed of a revised version of the Ten Commandments violates the Establishment Clause.
In the letter, Patrick Elliott cited another court case which he claimed set a precedent for religious displays in public buildings.
“In McCreary County v. ACLU, the Supreme Court ruled that a modern display of the Ten Commandments in two Kentucky courthouses violated the U.S. Constitution. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a permanent injunction against such displays in 2010, finding that the counties acted with an impermissible religious purpose,” wrote Elliott.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor also questioned how the painting would make someone who is not a Christian feel.
“How can nonbelievers feel welcome in the Trigg County clerk’s office when they have such an obviously biblical message staring them in the face?” she asked.
Although the FFRF acknowledged such “universally accepted prohibitions” such as murder and theft, it stated that it is unconstitutional for the county clerk to assert that such prohibitions have divine origin by displaying the Ten Commandments painting.