Cedar Falls, Iowa, will no longer be making religious recommendations in its city newsletter, Currents, thanks to the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
The Winter 2012 edition of Currents featured several religious suggestions for improving communities. Within the article “The Blues Zone Project – Help Us Win,” the City proposed “9 Traits of Thriving Communities.” The “thriving traits” included meditating and praying and an effort to “connect to a faith based community.” The City appeared to directly endorse prayer and church, as “The City of Cedar Falls” was displayed prominently at the top of the article.
FFRF Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt wrote a Feb. 6 letter of complaint to Mayor Jon Crews: “. . . including such overtly religious messages in a City-published newsletter constitutes blatant state endorsement of religion and alienates those Cedar Falls residents who are nonreligious.”
An attorney for the city replied to FFRF on Feb. 10: “The City will follow-up with employees drafting such documents and emphasize a thorough review of future city publications to prevent the printing of language with references to religion.”
