AMERICAN ATHEISTS
7215 Cameron Rd, Ste. A
Austin, TX 78752
Telephone: (512) 458-1244

PRESS RELEASE

For release: 29 June 1992

     
     Officers and directors of American Atheists, Inc. were
ebullient today over the organization's "city-seal" victory
confirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States.

     American Atheists had challenged the use of the Christian
cross and religious slogans on the seals of the cities of Zion
and Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The Supreme Court decision issued
today upholds the March 1991 decision of the Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals in Chicago, Illinois. At that time, the
Appellate Court's core decision was that:

     "In both cases, we find that sectarian religious imagery
simply has no place on municipal seals. . . . both the seal of
Rolling Meadows and the seal, emblem, and logo of Zion represent
unconstitutional uses of religious imagery . . . . they represent
unconstitutional endorsements of a particular religious faith.
Thus, both cities are permanently enjoined from continued use of
their seals (and in Zion's case, its emblem and logo as well) in
their present unconstitutional forms."

     Jon Murray, President of American Atheists, explained, "The
refusal of the Supreme Court to grant a review of these two cases
firmly supports the contention of American Atheists that
religious symbolism in government is abhorrent to the
Constitution of the United States."

     Mr. Murray also pointed out that taxpayer funds were
unnecessarily used by the politicians in both cities in the
litigation and the appeals process. "Prior federal lower court
decisions had clearly demonstrated that the government of the
political entities across the nation must be secular -- free from
religion.

     "The capricious undertaking of these petty politicians, as
they sought religious votes to keep themselves in office, has
resulted in costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the tax
payers in each city. It is tragic that the people of the nation
can still be taken for a ride by religious pettifoggers who
masquerade as political figures.

     "The citizens of both cities should demand that the mayors
and city attorneys bear the financial burden of their decisions
to try to maintain religious graffiti on city seals."

     American Atheists has also challenged the cities of
Palatine, Illinois, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and Austin, Texas, for
the use of Christian crosses in their seals and will now insist
that those cities also abandon their Christian imagery.

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