The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter of complaint Oct. 7 to the Manchester Police Department (Iowa), prompting the department to remove a religious poster prominently displayed in its lobby. The poster began, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. Psalm 28:7,” and continued with a list of the Beatitudes.
Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott wrote, “The Manchester Police Department should not be using the power and authority of the government to impose any religious belief onto the community members who work at or visit our office.” He noted that the suggestion that “The LORD is my strength” is “a proselytizing statement of religious belief with no secular purpose.”
FFRF’s local complainant called Elliott on Oct. 21 to report that the poster had been removed.