City of Duluth battles state ACLU over Ten Commandments monument

Published: 2004-04-30

DULUTH, Minn. (CNS) -- A battle rages on between the city of Duluth and the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota over a Ten Commandments monument on the lawn of Duluth's City Hall. The Minnesota branch of the ACLU and 10 Duluth residents filed suit in March calling for removal of the monument because they say its presence on city property violates church-state separation. But a number of local residents want it to stay put and have raised money to help with legal bills if the city has to go to court over it. The City Council April 26 voted for the second time to settle the lawsuit, but the matter is not over. The body could take another vote or decide to let voters resolve the issue in a referendum. In the meantime, the fight has spurred a Duluth priest to seek local support for displaying similar monuments on Catholic church lawns. Msgr. Patrick McDowell, senior associate at three center-city parishes, said the idea comes from an effort called Project Moses, which grew out of a similar battle with the ACLU in Kansas City, Kan. Project Moses wants to have Ten Commandments monuments at churches, synagogues, religious schools and private residences.

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