Liberty Counsel

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Liberty Counsel is a legal organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and the traditional family. The organization, which describes itself as a "ministry," is headed by attorney Mathew Staver, who is associated with the right side of the political spectrum, and once claimed during a television interview on C-SPAN (August 10, 2005) that he was a close personal friend of Rev. Jerry Falwell.

The Liberty Counsel and its supporters believe that "separation of church and state" is neither in the law of the United States, nor is it being interpereted correctly with context to the laws that do exist concerning religious freedom. They feel that the courts, by misinterpreting these laws, have been infringing on religious freedom.

1 Notable cases
2 Counsel to face possible lawsuit
3 Writings
4 External links

[edit] Notable cases

McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky (Pending Supreme Court case) - Case in defense of the right to have a Ten Commandments monument in public buildings that also calls for the first reformulation of the Lemon test used to determine legality of religious displays since its creation in the 1970s. Amicus briefs in favor of Liberty Counsel's position have been filed by the United States Attorney and numerous organizations. [1]
Wigg v. Sioux Falls School District 49-6 - the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that after school Bible study classes on campus after school hours does not violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, since it constitutes private free-speech [2]

The Liberty Counsel reportedly threatened to sue if Boston did not agree to its demands. During a December 1 Falwell appearance on Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson to discuss the matter, guest host David Asman suggested that Liberty Counsel had threatened to sue the city:

ASMAN: Well, a Christmas tree by any other name doesn't bring the holiday cheer in Boston. Their Christmas tree, which was briefly named the holiday tree until the city was threatened with a lawsuit, will light up tonight. Lawyers for the Liberty Counsel saying a Christmas tree shouldn't be called a holiday tree, just like a menorah shouldn't be called a candlestick. ... Reverend, you had a success in Boston, huh?
FALWELL: Well, that's just one area, and that is a minor thing. The idea is that if we are allowed to stand, it sends a signal across the country that the word "Christ," which is part of the word "Christmas," commemorating the birth of Christ is a bad word and should not be used. And it's just a continuation of the efforts of many to secularize this country and drive God from the public square. [3]

[edit] Counsel to face possible lawsuit

The Dodgeville School District who was accused by the Counsel in December 2005 of launching an "attack on Christmas," has demanded a widely distributed apology, a retraction of claims that the school's policies are "hostile" to the U.S. Constitution, and $23,899.48 in damages from the Liberty Counsel. [4]