The Gaylor clan and their Freedom from Religion Foundation have struck again, this time attacking the unethical, criminal and inexcusable act of the Monona, WI City Hall and Monona Library closing on Good Friday.

And to think…until this very date, everyone in Monona was subjected to the undue hardship and mental anguish caused by the closure of the vital library and city hall on a religious holiday. Oh, the horror!

For those of you that aren’t familiar with Annie Laurie and Anne Nicol Gaylor, they’re the pair of Midwest yahoos gallivanting around the State of Wisconsin preaching their ‘Freedom from Religion’ and ‘Separation of Church and State’ sermons. They use their resources to attempt to crush religion everywhere they go.

Jim Guilfoil of Monona, a retired Edgewood College philosophy professor (Edgewood, for the record, is a religious college founded by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters) and a Monona resident complained to the City of Monona and the Freedom from Religion Foundation because the city hall and library would be closed on Good Friday.

So, because of the ridiculous and utterly asinine arguments of three people, many must now forfeit their day of religious remembrance and reflection so that the library and city hall can remain open – a library and city hall located in a predominantly Christian community.

Folks, I’m going to give you the low down on the so-call Separation of Church and State, right here and right now. It’s important that you know the facts.

The actual text of the first amendment is this: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

The Supreme Court came up with a couple of tests to ensure that new laws are Constitutional and do not violate the First Amendment.

First, Justice O’Connor created the criterion that states “a law is unconstitutional if it favors one religion over another in a way that makes some people feel like outsiders and others feel like insiders.”

Second, Justice Kennedy decided that “a law is constitutional even if it recognizes or accommodates a religion, as long as its demonstration of support does not appear to coerce individuals to support or participate in a religion.”

So there you have it! Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that Church must be absent from State. You won’t find the phrase ‘Separation of Church and State’ anywhere within the hallowed document.

Instead, it merely states that Congress cannot make a law that establishes a religion or prohibit the free exercise of a religion. The Gaylors, Guilfoil and Freedom from Religion are attempting to prohibit the free exercise of a religion. Strike one.

Closing a government office on Good Friday does not favor any religion over another in a way that makes some people feel like outsiders and others feel like insiders. Strike two.

Finally, closing the government offices on Good Friday clearly does not appear to coerce individuals to support or participate in a religion. Strike three – you’re out!

Choosing to close a government office on Good Friday or any other holiday is, much to the chagrin of the Gaylor clan, perfectly acceptable both morally and legally. The bottom line of their argument (as they would have you believe) is that it makes them feel uncomfortable. They should not be forced to celebrate a holiday that they don’t believe in.

Using that argument, several other holidays must go! Let’s start with Washington’s Birthday. Since Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe in celebrating birthdays, old GW’s day has to go.

The Chinese don’t celebrate the same New Year’s Day that we do. By listing New Year’s Day as a federal holiday we may be offending certain Chinese. We should dump Father Time and Baby New Year.

Memorial Day must certainly be an affront to those that don’t believe in war. Remembering those that lost their lives in war may be too much to handle. Sorry, vets, your day is gone.

Another loser in the holiday department is Independence Day. No immigrant should have to suffer the loss of governmental services on a day that means nothing to them. Let’s move the 4th of July to the 4th of Never.

Columbus Day is certainly a celebration of a man that came over to the Native American’s land and took it over, pillaging and plundering the local people. How cruel can we be to Natives, celebrating such a thing? It has to go. The same holds true for Thanksgiving Day.

Christmas presents a huge problem for the anti-religious. Why should they be forced to take a day off, a day that essentially celebrates the birth of a major religion? I’d classify that as cruel and unusual punishment.

We’re all grown-ups here. We all understand that we don’t like or agree with everything that happens in the world around us. We must be understanding and tolerant at best, or simply recognize that the same freedoms we enjoy are also enjoyed by the other members of our society.

While the Gaylors are busy claiming that the entire country is violating the perceived “Separation of Church and State” rule that they think exists in the First Amendment, they are actually infringing on the most important aspects of the amendment, that Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion and must maintain our freedom of speech.

The bottom line is this: Anne, Annie and Jim, suck it up and quit whining! Allow your neighbors the same freedoms you are currently abusing.

There are many people that see through your litigious lunacies and all of them are truly tired of your antics. Ours is a religious society, founded by those seeking relief from religious persecution. It’s only a matter of time until you’re called to the carpet for creating your own version of religious persecution and when that time comes, God help you!