The Isabella County Jail removed a Bible verse intended to honor service and sacrifice to appease an out-of-state anti-religion nonprofit that insists it violates the constitution.

“The referenced Bible passage cited by the media and others was not quoted verbatim from any Bible, nor was it intended to be a direct religious reference,” Isabella County Sheriff Michael Main told the Morning Sun.

“The true purpose of the display was to honor and express unwavering gratitude for the dedicated public servants who work tirelessly to protect our community and communities across the nation.

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“It was meant as a tribute to their service and sacrifice, not as a point of contention.”

The passage, installed at the entrance of the new jail, reads: “Blessed are the peacekeepers for they shall be called the children of God.”

It’s essentially a shortened version of Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall be called sons of God. … Blessed are they who make peace, for they will be called the children of God.”

“The Supreme Court has long recognized that the First Amendment ‘mandates governmental neutrality between religion and religion, and between religion and nonreligion,” attorney Samantha Lawrence, with the anti-religion Freedom From Religion Foundation, wrote in a letter to jail administrator Scott Welch, Main and the Isabella County Board of Commissioners.

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“Displaying a biblical quote in a government building fails to respect either constitutional mandate of neutrality,” Lawrence wrote. “This is explicitly a Christian quote, and only a Christian quote.”

Lawrence further alleged the passage violates the Michigan Constitution.

“Michigan’s establishment clause reads, in part, ‘No money shall be appropriated or drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any religious sect or society, theological or religious seminary; nor shall property belonging to the state be appropriated for any such purpose,’” Lawrence wrote. “We are confident that state courts would find that a bible quote displayed in the entrance of a public jail demonstrates the appropriation of state property for religious purposes.”

FFRF, a national Wisconsin-based atheist group, regularly threatens to sue public bodies over perceived constitutional violations for allegedly religious activity. In January alone, FFRF convinced the Tulsa City Council and Glendora Unified School District board of education to ditch pre-meeting prayers, attempted to thwart a Louisiana law mandating the Ten Commandments in schools, and repeatedly attacked President Donald Trump and his cabinet picks, and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson over their religious beliefs, according to FFRF news releases.

Other FFRF activities focus largely on promoting progressive policies, advocating for everything from LGBTQ+ “rights” to expanded access to abortions.

In Michigan, where FFRF claims to have “more than 1,000 members,” the nonprofit in November took aim at Byron Center Public Schools after board member Thalia Tilma discussed how sharing her love for Jesus made a positive impact on a transgender student.

“While Tilma is certainly free to express her religious beliefs in her private capacity outside of her role as board member, it is unconstitutional for school board members to push their personal religious beliefs during school board meetings,” FFRF legal counsel Chris Line wrote to the board.

In Isabella County, sheriff’s officials are now working to reuse the letters removed from the jail to come up with a new message that appeases FFRF lawyers.

“To ensure that the intended message remains clear and inclusive, we will develop a new slogan that continues to express our appreciation for public safety personnel,” Main told the Morning Sun. “Additionally, we plan to repurpose the small letters that were removed as part of this effort.”