It’s not just God’s Country' in Hondo, non-religious activists say

Hondo Mayor Jim Danner, shown in 2012, said he has been overwhelmed with expressions of support for the signs. Hondo Mayor Jim Danner, shown in 2012, said he has been overwhelmed with expressions of support for the signs. Photo: San Antonio Express-News /File Photo Photo: San Antonio Express-News /File Photo Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close It’s not just God’s Country' in Hondo, non-religious activists say 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

Two signs in Hondo that tout the city as “God’s Country” have prompted the Freedom From Religion Foundation to complain the placards constitute an impermissible government endorsement of religion.

But Mayor Jim Danner left no doubt that he’ll oppose removing the iconic signs beside U.S. 90 that say, in full, “This Is God's Country — Please Don't Drive Through It Like Hell.”

“There’s no way in hell we’re going to take those signs down,” the mayor said Monday, predicting locals would back that stance. “I think when they find out we received that letter, we’ll have total support from the community to keep them.”

Foundation Co-President Anne Laurie Gaylor told Danner in a letter last week, “The message assumes a common god, yet imagine the public outrage had the city posted a sign that said, “This is Vishnu’s Country.”

“It is equally inflammatory and inappropriate to post a sign dedicating a city to the god of the bible,” she said, referencing the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

The city-owned signs on public property “convey government preference for religion over non-religion,” according to Gaylor, and “sends the message that non-believers are not welcome in the city.”

“We respect the right of every person in Hondo to practice whatever religion or non-religion, they choose,” he said. “The only problem here is that it’s the government endorsing religion, rather than private entities.”