By Linda Hart Green
I grew up in a suburb of New Jersey just five miles from center city Philadelphia. At the time, no building could be taller than the top of William Penn’s hat. This was not a law carved in stone like the masonry building beneath it. The 37-foot bronze statue of the founder of the commonwealth stood on top of the grand City Hall, and urban legend said the purpose was to remind all who saw it of the principles of their founder.
These principles were religious freedom, right to a fair trial by jury, freedom from unjust imprisonment, and free elections.
On our way to the city, my father repeated these principles and the urban legend every time we crossed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, named in tribute to another famous personage in our area. We went to the city often for business and for pleasure. We did not plug in headsets and watch our own screens while riding in the car. I heard stories of William Penn and the persecution he received in England for belonging to the Society of Friends (Quakers). William Penn was kicked out of the University of Oxford for not following the dictates of Anglicanism and later charged with blasphemy for championing religious freedom and jailed twice. He received the largest land grant in the New World from the king, naming it Penn’s Woods. When the colony became a state, it was named Pennsylvania and considered itself a commonwealth, owing largely to its founding principles. Citizens were to keep the common good in high regard by looking up at the statue. When a new building, One Liberty Place, eclipsed the hat in 1986, citizens claimed it put a curse on the city’s sports teams.
Because these principles were firmly ingrained in me, I balk when I see them being challenged or violated outright in our time. I reject the influence of outside organizations attempting to impinge on religious freedom, mine and that of others. I feel outrage when elections aren’t free and fair. And even more so when they are free and fair but some try to discredit them. I feel dismay when the common good is not held in highest regard and when others seek to undermine it with self-interest in the guise of common concern.
I looked up in awe at the statue of William Penn on top of City Hall. It said to me, “This is who we are supposed to be. This is how we live together in the community.”
We don’t have a statue of William Penn on Amelia Island. I wish we did.
Linda Hart Green is Pastor Emeritus of Emmanuel Church, Ridgewood, New Jersey, and co-owner of Shady Ladies Art Studios and Gallery in Fernandina Beach. She holds an M.Div. and a Certificate in Pastoral Leadership Development from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Let me see now. You talk about being from New Jersey near Philadelphia but you don’t like outsiders attempting to impinge on your religious beliefs because they are different than yours….could be construed as hypocritical don’t you think? The rest of your rambling diatribe doesn’t make a lot of since either. I am sure New Jersey or Philadelphia would welcome you back anytime to enjoy their crime ridden one party cesspool. Please give it serious consideration for the sake of our community.
Wow…no polite words to reply to that response..best to just ignore it.
Huh? I think it’s clear from Rev. Green’s writing that she is talking about some of the founding principles of our nation. What is hypocritical about freedom of religion?
“I reject the influence of outside organizations attempting to impinge on religious freedom, mine and that of others.” What outside organization is trying to impinge on her freedom of religion in Fernandina Beach?
Let’s see… The Republican Party, Citizens Defending Freedom, every evangelical church that encourages people to vote against abortion rights or gay marriage or drag queen shows…
Wow. Apparently someone’s religion has as its cornerstone “drag queen shows”, abortion rights, and gay marriage. Basically I think you’re right. It’s called Satan worship. With possibly the exception of gay marriage … these issues have NOTHING to do with freedom of religion. So apparently now ANY policy one doesn’t like becomes an assault on your freedom of religion? Ridiculous.
Ha! Good one!
Not sure why some locals who think they’re native Floridians feel so threatened by people from other places. For the record, unless you’re 100 percent Timicuan, you’re an interloper just like the rest of us.
I don’t think a statue of a Northern slaveholder would be a good addition to Amelia Island. We had enough homegrown slaveholders of our own to honor with statues.
Great article. Thanks!
One thing that would help is for the author to note how long they have been in Fernandina. There is a lot of negative attitude/emotion towards “newcomers” here. Maybe the author has been here for 30+ years… who knows.
Does that really matter? FYI, taxpaying homeowner for 11 years.
And there she goes again….Pastor Emeritus Shady Lady gives us another left wing lecture!
If you could give it a minute’s thought, and I’m sure you can, you could give a serious response,
I would encourage people to refrain from calling names and actually add something of substance to the discussion.
Why the unnecessary nickname? We have too much of that by “some” at the national level.
Your as dumb as a brick and your ignorance palpable as your City meeting appearances prove.
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”. 1 Timothy 2-12.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Not relevant.
Yeah right, good luck with that one, you’re right out of the stone age.
This is wonderful, Linda. So many of these comments show so clearly why your thoughts- put so beautifully into writing—matter. Keep writing, my friend.
Thank you, Linda. Keep asking us to think!!!
I agree
While William Penn, at one time, did enslave some people, the four principles that are quoted are worthy of a monument. Not sure if it should be Penn, but maybe something like an abstract sculpture that reiterates and represents those principles. We sure could use the reminder of those around here and in these times. Thanks for your article!
I see those same principles reflected in the flag of the United States, which we can see all around us. They are imperfectly exercised at times, but they are still present.
He owned slaves.
Unity Critism Unity
Neat article!
Let’s see: ” Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise.” Abortion limits by the government violate the First Amendment. Not all religions believe in the Christian POV. A Pew poll found the fastest-growing religion in the US is NONE. Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists all do not proscribe it. Yes, Christianity is the majority religion in the US (for now). An unelected Supreme Court has told all of us what the Constitution says. Also, see the 14th Amendment. As an effect of the unanimity of the states in holding unborn children to be persons under criminal, tort, and property law, the text of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment compels federal protection of unborn persons. Pretty soon, we will see lawsuits for personal injury brought on behalf of fetuses for the personal injury because Mom ( or whatever they’re called nowadays) for eating junk food, being fat, drinking, smoking, and being injured cuz she didn’t wear a seat belt.
So now we go after former Pastors (the author)? Emmanuel Church, in Ridgewood, NJ is a Baptist Church. Sounds like we all lost interest in “Love thy neighbor as thyself”. The author is correct, religious freedom is a founding principle. My Christian religion of “love they neighbor as thyself” doesn’t care how you are dressed, who you love, or how long you have lived in a location.