'Christian Heritage' proclamation sparks Fla. dispute.

Brushing aside church-state concerns, the Gainesville (Fla.) City Commission has issued a proclamation An act that formally declares to the general public that the government has acted in a particular way. A written or printed document issued by a superior government executive, such as the president or governor, which sets out such a declaration by the government. for "Christian Heritage Christian Heritage can refer to:

The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, a political party.
Christian Heritage New Zealand, a defunct New Zealand political party.
Christian Heritage School, the name of several different private schools in the United States.

Week."

Mayor Tom Bussing had refused several requests to sign the religious proclamation. "I don't believe government belongs in the religion business, or vice versa VICE VERSA. On the contrary; on opposite sides. ," Bussing said. The Gainesville Sun reported that a retired University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. professor had been urging the mayor for several years to issue the religious proclamation.

On Nov. 11, the City Commission voted 5-2 to override Bussing's decision and approve the proclamation. The resolution encourages residents to "acknowledge and celebrate, each in their own way, the heritage of our great state and nation where our motto is 'In God We Trust.'" It also asserts, "The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His Apostles APOSTLES. In the British courts of admiralty, when a party appeals from a decision made against him, he prays apostles from the judge, which are brief letters of dismission, stating the case, and declaring that the record will be transmitted. 2 Brown's Civ. and Adm. Law, 438; Dig. 49. 6. ."

Members of an Americans United chapter spoke out against the proclamation at the Nov. 11 meeting. Those residents also voiced their concerns in the Nov. 18 Gainesville Sun.

"The Gainesville City Commission should simply not be in the business of proclaiming any religion's merits onto the community," Diane and Ira Fischler wrote. "What part of the First Amendment don't the commissioners understand?"

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Title Annotation:	Around The States
Publication:	Church & State
Article Type:	Brief Article
Geographic Code:	1USA
Date:	Jan 1, 2004
Words:	192
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