Finally, a Win: Public Pressure Returns the Word "Lord" to a Monument

A small victory against the secularists' war against God occurred last week in my neck of the woods. Tegy Cay, South Carolina is a small community on the shores of Lake Wylie, and city officials there caved to a complaint from a single individual about a religious reference on a monument.

The Rock Hill Herald reported the news first,

"Removal of the word 'Lord' from a gift to Tega Cay Police Department has set off a firestorm on social media. The painted over word wasn’t done by vandals.
A stone gifted by Tega Cay Women’s Club was installed earlier this month at the new police station, 7705 Tega Cay Drive. The monument included a Bible verse reference and the word 'Lord.'
City officials received complaints about the religious part of the inscription, said Lt. James Parker of the Tega Cay Police Department. City officials discussed the inscription in a council meeting and the decision was made to take the religious inscriptions off both sides, Parker said."

The Christian Post provided a few more details as to the offending words,

"On the front of the memorial, donated by a civic group, was a reference to Matthew 5:9 from Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount, which says, 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.'
The back of the stone read: 'Lord, I ask for courage. Courage to face and conquer my own fears, courage to take me where others will not go...Give me Lord, concern for others who trust me and compassion for those who need me. And please Lord, through it all, be at my side.'"

Luckily for the world, the public outcry was loud and reached both the State House and Washington DC,

"But after the city painted over the word 'Lord' in multiple places and also removed the Bible verse reference on the front of the stone, the city’s Facebook page was flooded with hundreds of comments from those outraged by the decision.
S.C. State Rep. Bruce Bryant, R-York, who retired as York County Sheriff in 2017 after 20 years in office and 44 years in law enforcement, said he was 'disappointed' in the decision.
'Law enforcement is a calling, a calling for men and women by God to protect the communities they serve. These principles of courage and faith are what this great state and nation were founded upon,' he said, according to the Herald.
Scripture, Bryant said, is meant to show the unity of spirit and faith that the public has with police officers.
'There would not be a need for law enforcement officers if the Ten Commandments were followed,” Bryant said. “But they are not. That’s where police officers, the bravest and most courageous, come in. To help their fellow man under God.'
U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman called the move 'sad.'
'Our creator gave us our God-given rights,' he said in a Facebook video. The last time I checked it was one nation under God. To have this scratched out is sad, to say the least. That’s why we’re fighting in Washington, D.C., to put God back in public buildings like this, put God back in our schools. This is sad and never should happen.'”

One has to wonder if the pressure from our State and national Congressmen tipped the scales in favor of the Lord. Perhaps as a result, the City of Tega Cay caved and issued the following alert,

"After careful consideration and much conversation with people on both sides of the discussion, City Council has made the decision that the Police Officer's Prayer will be restored to its original condition and returned to the Fallen Officers’ Memorial located at the new police station.  We want to thank everyone for voicing your opinion, as it’s not always easy to do so on such a sensitive subject.
As Mr. Dunn stated before Council July 15th, none of what has transpired was an attack on our Police Department or anyone’s faith.  Our City Council and citizens have always been strong supporters of the men and women in blue.  We’d like to thank Mr. Dunn and the others who spoke before Council.  The respectful exchange of ideas and opinions is truly what makes local government extraordinary.
This was a tough week in Tega Cay.  It is our hope that we can now move forward together and continue to be the strong, welcoming community that we have always been known for.  Regardless of our different viewpoints, our people are what truly makes this City such a wonderful place."

This was not a total victory however as I got the following report from Congressman Ralph Norman,

"It's back. Yes, it's still missing the Matthew 5:8 inscription on the other side, but this is a step in the right direction."

I pray that the disgruntled Mr. Dunn put away his hostility and come to Jesus so that he can see how desperately the world needs to see, hear, and loudly proclaim His holy name.