[StBernard] Louisiana town officials in hot water for washing the feet of employees

[Westley Annis]

Somebody needs to tell the ACLU to go take a hike.

It's called "Freedom of Religion" not "Freedom From Religion".

Westley


-----Original Message-----
Louisiana town officials in hot water for washing the feet of employees
The ACLU sent St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro a letter
criticizing his decision to wash employees feet Thursday.

An "act of humility" is drawing publicity and concerns from the American
Civil Liberties Union.

Monday, the ACLU sent St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro a letter
criticizing his decision to wash employees feet Thursday. ACLU Executive
Director Marjorie Esman said Taffaro's actions violate the law of the
country.

"To set the precedent that government is going to pick and choose what
religion is going to be practiced in the workplace is a terrible precedent,"
she said. "The First Amendment makes it very clear that government cannot
engage in establishing a religion. And for the parish president, who is a
government official, to impose his religion on employees is precisely doing
that."

Taffaro said the washing of feet was not mandatory nor meant to be a public
display. He said he doesn't see it as a religious act, but an act of public
service.

"It was very discreet. And employees who wished to participate could and
those who did not certainly were not coerced or pressured," he said. "If I
were to go around the building next week and offer to polish the employees
shoes as an act of humility, would that bring about the same question?"

Taffaro said he will listen to the ACLU's feedback, but he thinks the whole
thing has been misconstrued. Taffaro noted that he would be open to doing
similar things in the future.

"If an employee came to me and said, 'We'd like to host a Seder meal for
Passover. We're not going to force anybody to come, but we'd like to do it
at our lunchtime.' I would certainly support that," Taffaro said.