TOWN FACES CHOICE OVER CHRISTIAN SYMBOL

The town of Republic, over near Springfield, Mo., isn't a very big place. But it has come up against a very big problem because of a fish.

The fish is used on the city seal, its flag (see drawing) and its stationery. But it is not a bass or a trout. No, this fish is the familiar symbol associated with Christianity, the one that makes a fish out of the Greek letters chi and rho, the first letters of Christos, which is Greek for Christ. This fish symbol has been used since the earliest days of Christianity.

Republic has half a dozen churches, all representing one Christian denomination or another. Most of the town's 8,000 resident claim some affiliation with one of those churches. The city is downright proud of its Christian heritage and values.

But the American Civil Liberties Union, ever vigilant in its effort to keep government and religion separated, has protested the use of the fish symbol by city government.

Now Republic is faced with a choice. Spend up to $100,000 of taxpayers' dollars to fight the ACLU in court, or remove the symbol and put the legal issues to rest.

It's a tough choice -- and one that ought not to face freedom-loving Americans who only want to acknowledge the God who is represented in our pledge of allegiance, on our currency and in the motto, "In God we trust."