In response to an FFRF complaint, North Township, Mich., will be careful to avoid all religion in future events it sponsors with religious entities.
On Sept. 11, 2015, the Northfield Township Police Department sent an e-mail to local residents promoting a Kids’ Day event. A local church that co-sponsored the event wrote the content of the e-mail, which included religious sentiments like “Christ wishes to save all of us.”
“The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits government sponsorship of religious messages,” wrote FFRF Legal Fellow Ryan Jayne in the letter. “The government violates this principle of neutrality.”
The township manager responded on Jan. 27, saying that he typically tells the church that co-sponsored events must be free from religion, and would speak with the police chief to make sure it would not happen again.
