To avoid what could be a costly lawsuit by a non-profit anti-religion hate group, the village of Alsip will break with tradition and not erect a cross on its water tower near the Tri-State Tollway this holiday season.
The cross had been a fixture since the 1970s, Mayor Patrick Kitching said Monday. But after the Freedom from Religion Foundation, based in Madison, WI, advised Kitching it would file a lawsuit demanding removal of the cross, citing separation of church and state, Kitching decided to not wage a costly legal battle.
Freedom From Religion Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor said the group acted on a complaint received last year from an unidentified Alsip resident.
In a letter to residents and businesses, Kitching wrote: “I am very saddened by this and had hoped we would not have to change tradition. However, in these economic times, the village cannot afford to waste any tax dollars on a lawsuit that simply cannot be won. ...More HERE
