PITMAN — A national organization aimed at keeping religion separate from government claims the borough violated the Constitution for a “Keep Christ in Christmas” banner that hangs above Broadway near 2nd Avenue in Pitman.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation contacted Mayor Michael Batten Friday requesting the banner be moved to private property claiming it “unmistakably endorses the Christian faith.”

According to foundation officials, a Pitman resident contacted the organization after Pitman Fire Department was spotted raising the banner over the county road, and stringing it between two borough-owned light posts.

“It offends non-believers and Jews and Wiccans and Americans of any religion,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the foundation which aims at protecting the First Amendment, which includes the principle of separation of church and state. “It sends the wrong message ... It’s a devotional sign. If it just said Merry Christmas, we wouldn’t be writing that letter, but it says ‘Keep Christ in Christmas.’ It’s taking a sectarian point of view.”

While the sign does have “Knights of Columbus 6247” printed on both sides of the banner, the foundation claims the text “does not mitigate the endorsement.”

According to the letter sent to Batten, the foundation has contacted several borough agencies — including borough hall, construction and zoning, parks and recreation, fire and police department — to find out if the banner has a permit. Gaylor said calls to the municipal departments were not returned.

Batten could not be reached for comment by The Gloucester County Times' deadline.

“It should go on a church lawn,” said Gaylor, whose national non-profit organization has more than 17,000 members nationwide including 300 in New Jersey. “It shouldn’t be on a county right of way because the government doesn’t have a religion. The government shouldn’t take sides on religious debates.”

While the letter to the borough does not mention Gloucester County, Broadway is a county road.

County spokeswoman Debra Sellitto said Monday that the county “did not play a role in putting up that sign” and the Gloucester County engineer and the public works director “do not recollect a permit application for the banner.”

Gaylor said the foundation expects a response to the letter of objection, and will give the borough a chance to relocate the banner.

“We aren’t saying take it down and burn it. We are just saying put it up on your private property,” she said. “Given this is a timely and seasonal violation, we are hoping they would take it down right away.”

According to the letter, not relocating the banner to private property should create a public forum and the borough should be expected to accept banners displaying all points of view.

“If the borough agrees this is an open forum and allows the Christ banner to remain, then FFRF would like to hang a banner, too,” the letter read.

The foundation’s banner would read:

“At this season of the Winter Solstice, may reason prevail. There are not gods, no devils, no angels, nor heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds. Freedom From Religion Foundation.”