Freedom of religion but not freedom from religion

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and two other groups on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the mayor of Warren, Mich., who banned an atheist group from setting up a station alongside one run by a prayer group in the city hall atrium.

Mayor Jim Fouts (R) said that the group's "reason station" would be opposed to prayer and compared atheists to Nazis and members of the Klu Klux Klan.

"The city has certain values that I don't believe are in general agreement with having an atheist station, nor in general agreement with having a Nazi station or Klu Klux Klan station," Fouts told the Associated Press on Wednesday. "I cannot accept or will not allow a group that is disparaging of another group to have a station here."

Fouts has let a prayer group run a station where they hand out fliers and offer prayers to passersby since 2009. Yet the mayor rejected Douglas Marshall's request to run a "reason station" where he would offer to have philosophical discussions with people who walk by in the city hall atrium.

"They don't walk up to people," Fouts told the AP, explaining how the prayer group operates its city hall station. "They are just there if someone wishes to seek solace or guidance from them. The atheist station does not serve that purpose. It will not contribute to community values or helping an individual out."