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A battle of the believers and the atheists went to federal court, and atheists seemed to have won.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Hluchaniuk of Detroit on Monday approved a settlement that requires the City of Warren to allow atheists to set up a “reason station” inside city hall after the ACLU to talk about secular beliefs.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued the city to get space at city hall in response to a “prayer station,” which has operated out of there. The mayor had blocked the atheists from having a presence in city hall.
“This settlement serves as a reminder that government officials have no business deciding which religious messages can and cannot be allowed into our public spaces,” Dan Korobkin, deputy legal director of the ACLU of Michigan and lead counsel in the lawsuit filed on behalf of Warren resident Douglas Marshall, said in a statement. “The First Amendment guarantees us all the right to speak freely about our beliefs—or lack thereof. Mr. Marshall should be lauded for resisting the mayor's attempt to silence him by favoring religious groups over non-religious groups.”
The city of Warren did not immediately respond for comment Monday afternoon.
