Americans who ask for a flag to be flown over the U.S. Capitol will now be able to include religious references on the accompanying certificate under new guidelines released Oct. 11.
House members were angry after an Ohio Eagle Scout requested a flag be flown in honor of his grandfather’s “dedication and love of God, country and family” and the accompanying certificate left out the word “God.”
Acting Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers, who supervises the flag program, said guidelines from 2003 would be revised to allow whatever messages a member of Congress deems appropriate.
Rep. Michael Turner, R–Ohio, who received the flag request that sparked the policy change, said he would pursue legislation that would permanently allow flag certificates to acknowledge God.
Earlier he had worried that cutting God’s name from certificates could be “the precedent” for removing other references to God from the Capitol. (RNS)
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