A Chicago family is taking a local park district to court after they were told they couldn’t use the word “Jesus” in an inscription on a brick purchased to be included in a walkway in a neighborhood park.
 Mildred Tong says family’s civil rights violated (courtesy: WMAQ-TV) |
Mildred Tong wanted to buy a brick for placement in Senn Park that would send a message to her children about their faith, reports WMAQ-TV. She wanted to remind her children that “Jesus is the cornerstone” of their lives. But parks officials turned down her request.
According to WBBM-TV, the inscription was to say: “Dear Missy, E.B. and Baby, Jesus is the cornerstone. Love, Mom and Dad.”
“We wanted to truly give a message to our children when they get older to show how their parents lived out being a Christian and being public about their faith,” Tong told WMAQ.
The Becket Fund For Religious Liberty is helping the family with the lawsuit.
“Chicago … I knew it was liberal and filled with Democrats and whatever,” Tong said, “but I didn’t know it would come down to this, that we couldn’t profess our faith.”
 ‘Jesus’ not another brick in the walkway (WMAQ-TV) |
Chicago Park District personnel say they suggested the Tongs change the word “Jesus” to “God,” but that they refused. Officials claim they wanted to avoid requests from other special-interest groups for potentially offensive bricks, WMAQ reports.
“The reason for this display is to highlight people who have contributed (and) given money to improve the parks. The bricks highlight these people and are not to be a bulletin board for people’s religious, cultural or political expressions,” Julian Green, park district spokesman, is quoted by the station as saying.
The suit, which was filed yesterday, seeks $1 in damages. The family is hoping simply to be able to inscribe their original message on their brick.
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