One of the complains I often hear about atheist groups is that they complain about the smallest things. Does it really matter if, say, the government gives money to a faith-based charity or if a principal acknowledges a God at graduation?

The answer is always the same: You have to point out those small violations, even if the courts won’t act on them, because once Christians realize they can get away with it, those actions become “tradition” and form the basis for even more egregious violations down the road.

Case in point: check out what’s happening at the Hemphill County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. We’ve seen “In God We Trust” decals all over the state, so they’re taking it a step further, explicitly putting a Bible verse on their vehicles:

“I Am the Good Shepherd” — John 10:11

You know, one of the reasons other sheriff’s offices have been able to get away with the “In God We Trust” stickers is that they can deny that Christianity has anything to do with it. They’ll say it’s the national motto and then laugh about the lie when the doors are closed.

There’s nothing to hide behind here. It’s a straight-up Bible verse. I don’t see how they get away with this. The courts may let it slide when it’s ambiguously religious, but this is specifically Christian.



