PROVO -- A suggestion by the Utah ACLU to hold a "Freedom of Religion Week" has not been embraced in Utah County cities that plan to honor "Bible Week" decrees.
Without fear of appearing unbending to compromise, two members of the Provo City Council said they support Mayor Lewis Billings' resolution that asks residents to look at the Bible next week as a book that "influenced the morality of the nation.""I don't have a problem with it," said Mark Hathaway, council chairman. "I think (the ACLU is) making much ado about nothing. Religions have their freedom."
Councilman Dennis Poulsen concurred with Hathaway.
"I feel we have a constitutional right to set a community standard, "Poulsen said. "So, I guess when we choose to do that, that's permissible."
Although Poulsen said the city should not back away from endorsing Bible Week, he said he would be willing to also have a "Freedom of Religion Week" any other time during the year -- but not during Bible Week.
"I wouldn't mind doing that, too," Poulsen said. "You have other segments society, too. I'd uphold their rights just as much as I'd uphold mine."
Billings was unavailable for comment today.
Springville Mayor Hal Wing said he won't turn Bible Week into Freedom of Religion Week.
"I am very much willing to do that but not in lieu of (Bible Week). They're two very different things.
"I am for freedom of religion, and I'll lay my life down for that. But it's not the same as specifically encouraging someone to read the Bible."
ACLU attorney Stephen Clark sent a letter Thursday to Billings and Wing asking them to reconsider the resolutions.
The civil-rights group believes Bible Week resolutions violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government from promoting religion, giving preference to a religion or establishing a religion.
Clark told officials that a week honoring the country's freedom to practice religion -- or decide not to follow a particular faith -- instead would be more appropriate than a week dedicated to a book considered sacred by Christians.
"Rather than violating the Constitution, why not issue a proclamation declaring next week 'Freedom of Religion Week' without reference to any particular text or tradition," he wrote.
"Such a proclamation would truly honor the priceless freedoms we all enjoy -- to practice any religion, or none at all, as a matter of sacred conscience."
Bible Week, which calls for residents to look to the Bible as a moral and spiritual guide, has been organized for 58 years by the Laymen's National Bible Association.
Resolutions suggested by the group also note the Bible's influence on democracy, literature, art and justice system.
The educational nonprofit group has traditionally celebrated Bible Week from Sunday to Sunday, the week of Thanksgiving.
Annual Bible Week declarations have sparked controversy nationwide. A U.S. district judge in Arizona last year agreed with the ACLU that Bible Week endorses religion over non-religion and affiliates the government with religion.
The judge issued a temporary restraining order against the state of Arizona and a suburb of Phoenix to prohibit them from honoring Bible Week resolutions.
The decision spurred Utah ACLU leaders to ask Gov. Mike Leavitt and officials in Provo, Springville, Bountiful and North Salt Lake to reconsider Bible Week proclamations and warned that future similar decrees would be legally challenged.
This year, though, Clark said the local liberties union wanted to instead seek a compromise rather than take the issue to court, drawing away resources from other large lawsuits.
Deseret News staff writer Edward L. Carter contributed to this report.