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What legal implications arise when a city bans a religious group's traditional practices, such as displaying jars of human cremated remains, and the group sues the city, citing freedom of expression and the limits of municipal authority?

In the case of Pleasant Grove City v.

Summum (2009), the Supreme Court ruled that the display of permanent monuments in a public park is considered government speech, rather than private expression, allowing cities to restrict or ban certain monuments.

The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, but the Court held that government speech is not the same as private expression, allowing governments to regulate the content of government speech.

The Court's decision in Pleasant Grove City v.

Summum created a split amongst circuits, with some courts upholding the decision and others rejecting it.

The case had significant implications for religious freedom, as it allowed cities to restrict religious displays, but the Court noted that the restriction must be content-neutral and viewpoint-neutral.

Content-neutral restrictions are those that apply to all speech, regardless of the message, such as rules prohibiting all signs in a public park.

Viewpoint-neutral restrictions are those that apply to all speech with a similar message or viewpoint, such as rules prohibiting all political signs in a public park.

In the case of Pleasant Grove City v.

Summum, the Court held that the city's ban on the Summum monument was viewpoint-neutral because it allowed other religious displays in the park.

However, the Court noted that the ban was still content-based because it targeted the specific message of the Summum monument.

The Court's decision in Pleasant Grove City v.

Summum has been criticized for creating a religion-based distinction in public spaces, as religious displays are often subject to stricter regulations than other types of public art.

The case has been cited in subsequent court decisions to uphold restrictions on religious displays in public spaces.

In recent years, there has been an increase in lawsuits and disputes over public displays of religious symbols and monuments, particularly in the context of religious freedom and the Establishment Clause.

The controversy surrounding these disputes highlights the ongoing debate over the extent to which government can regulate religious expression in public spaces.

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