Aug. 9, 2006
 
Editorial: Jesus Painting a Political Bonanza
 
Notwithstanding the excellent legal arguments on both sides of the "Jesus painting controversy" at Bridgeport High School these days, one thing is for sure: if you're a politician in West Virginia this election year, you should give a donation to the legal defense fund established by Harrison County Board of Education member Mike Queen and others.
 
Who can possibly resist the chance--and the political windfall-- at helping to fund the Harrison County School Board's fight against the ACLU and their clients who want the Jesus painting taken down after 30 years without incident?
 
Already, Queen and company have recognized not only the many little donors who have given, but one of the big donors as well--a man who has given $25,000 to the cause. Queen says that at least a $100,000 is needed to fight the ACLU's case to take down Jesus, but his group is almost halfway there after just a few days.
 
While it might be prudent for the Harrison County School Board to mandate either a rotating space dedicated to other great moral leaders or perhaps add a few more to join Jesus on the Bridgeport High wall, on the other hand is there really any genuine concern that the high school is trying to "establish a religion" here?
 
Granted, one could reason that favoritism towards one faith is being shown, but frankly, so many different denominations claim Jesus as their own that it would be difficult to discern just who is getting the benefit. Christianity in general?
 
Whatever the final result of this classic church/state dispute, the canny politician will make at least a modest donation to the cause to get in good with the church folks this November. West Virginia is about as "pro-Jesus" a state as it gets, with all due respect to our Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist friends.
 
It is natural for politicians to want to show some kind of solidarity with so large a constituency.