City will erase Steubenville chapel from city logo
July 27, 2012
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The city of Steubenville, Ohio, has announced plans to change the city's official logo, removing an image of the chapel of Franciscan University.
The city is taking this action in response to a threat by the Freedom from Religion Foundation to sue, claiming that the inclusion of the landmark chapel in the city's official logo suggests that "Steubenville is a theocracy."
Michael Hernon, a spokesman for Franciscan University, voiced regret at the decision. “We find it particularly troubling that an out of town and out of touch group targeted the University for removal from the logo solely because of our religious identity," he said.
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Posted by: hartwood01 -
Jul. 31, 2012 2:18 PM ET USA
Journalist64, Steubenville used to be referred jokingly as the town to go to for "loose women". Maybe they can revert to their former notoriety and list those places on their map.
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Posted by: lauriem5377 -
Jul. 27, 2012 7:00 PM ET USA
Perhaps the University should suggest those living and visiting the University use services/shops outside of the city (or on-line)for their purchases since the University's image is clearly not welcome within the city limits.
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Jul. 27, 2012 6:19 PM ET USA
Franciscan can't fight this in court because they would have no standing legally. Hey, Steubenville, don't you realize that without the university, nobody would come to your town?
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Posted by: rpp -
Jul. 27, 2012 2:59 PM ET USA
AgnesDay, the answer is simple, money. It costs FFR next to nothing to threaten and the ACLU will be right there to sue, but the city has to cough up its own money to defend it. Essentially, the process IS the punishment. It truly is a form of extortion. ("Do what we want or we will sue and it will cost you BIG BUCKS to prove you are right.) Few, if any, of these threats actually resulted in a lawsuit that was lost by the defendant.
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Posted by: Justin8110 -
Jul. 27, 2012 2:42 PM ET USA
Why SHOULD the city fight this in the courts? The US government along with the courts decided long ago to wage war on religion so why try to fight the enemy with the enemies own weapons while playing by the enemies rules? Civil disobedience is the best way in this case. We are going to lose everytime in the courts as we have since at least the post WWII era. Secular humanism and it's agnostic/atheist philosophy IS the new religion of the West and yes, America.
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Posted by: AgnesDay -
Jul. 27, 2012 1:30 PM ET USA
So, why doesn't Steubenville fight the threat in the courts?
