Atheist Group Files Lawsuit Against Display of WTC Cross at 9/11 Memorial

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Fox News


http://i.imgur.com/yeCV2.jpg

A group of atheists has filed a lawsuit claiming the display of the World Trade Center cross at the 9/11 memorial in lower Manhattan is unconstitutional, calling it a "mingling of church and state."

The American Atheists, which advocates an "absolute separation" of government and religion, filed the lawsuit Monday to stop the display of the cross, arguing that it should not be included if "no other religions or philosophies will be honored," according to a statement on the group's website.

The cross, which consists of two intersecting steel beams that were found intact in the rubble at Ground Zero, was initially constructed on a side of a church in lower Manhattan. The cross was then placed inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum during a ceremony over the weekend.

"The WTC cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their god, who couldn't be bothered to stop the Muslim terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross," the group's president, Dave Silverman, said in a press release. "It's a truly ridiculous assertion."

But museum organizers say the cross, which is a symbol of hope for many, should have a place at the memorial.

The cross is "an important part of our commitment to bring back the authentic physical reminders that tell the history of 9/11 in a way nothing else could," 9/11 Memorial president Joe Daniels said Saturday, the Christian Post reports.

"Its return is a symbol of the progress on the Memorial and Museum that we feel rather than see, reminding us that commemoration is at the heart of our mission," Daniels reportedly said.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

The cross is "an important part of our commitment to bring back the authentic physical reminders that tell the history of 9/11 in a way nothing else could,"

waitwut

[Acid Trip]

waitwut


The cross, which consists of two intersecting steel beams that were found intact in the rubble at Ground Zero,

Hence the physical reminder of 9/11.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I am not even close to being religious and I find all these lawsuits by these atheist groups to be ridiculous.

[Muddy]

I am not even close to being religious and I find all these lawsuits by these atheist groups to be ridiculous.

Im not particularly religious either, but I find the atheist movement to be irritating as well..

[PorkChopSandwiches]

They are turning it into another religion

[Muddy]

They are turning it into another religion

It's a brash, rude, and arrogant religion of confrontation...

[PorkChopSandwiches]

just this group, not atheist in general.

[Hal-9000]

I am not even close to being religious and I find all these lawsuits by these atheist groups to be ridiculous.

The whole point....and thanks for saying that Lance.WTF is the problem with a cross if it provides some sort of solace to certain individuals?
It doesn't harm anyone.A cross has symbolized various things for centuries...to me it's a sign of respect for the dead at a gravesite.It doesn't
have to be automatically associated with Jesus or any particular religious ideal.

In fact...some sects of Christianity don't like the cross because they feel it symbolizes the day of failure for Jesus..chew on that for awhile....

[Godfather]

There are a lot of a-theists out there. People who just generally don't believe. That's of course fine, at times I fall in that category!

Atheism with a capital "A" has become an ironic mess. It's an organized movement, as much a system as those they seem to hate. How do these people not see how ridiculous they've become? Maybe they do and just want to stir the pot...and that's worse isn't it?

What a bunch of assholes.

[Jezter]

Im not religious really, but the discussion of separating church and state has reached some ridiculous heights...and this is one of them. Why don't the atheists then go ahead and build something that works for them and let everyone else be happy with the very universal and harmless symbol that the cross is.

Are they going to start lawsuits to ban flags and coats of arms that have crosses? Churches from having a cross too? What about cemetaries..full of crosses.

Goodnes gracious what a bunch of faggots these are. I don't care if they are atheists or not, that has nothing to do with my opinion. The fact that these are bunch of idiots, however, do.

On a sidenote...anyone watched O'Reilly? How he says the norwegian shooter was not a christian? Despite the thousands of pages of shit he wrote and saying himself he is.. where as... "Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan a Muslim, O’Reilly objected: “I’m not saying he was a good Muslim. I’m saying that he was a Muslim terrorist because he carried a business card that said ‘Soldier of Allah,’ and he committed his crimes in the name of Allah." A business card was enough to convince O'Reilly he was a muslim. Loooots of trouble with the religions in America it seems.

[Acid Trip]

but the discussion of separating church and state has reached some ridiculous heights

The problem is that people believe that "separation of church and state" is actually in the Constitution somewhere. I assure you it is not. That statement was from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 and has nothing to do with the Constitution or actual law.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

Congress is not establishing a religion so that part is out. Technically by forcing removal of the cross they are infringing on the right to "free exercise". I don't understand how atheists could possibly win any of these arguments.

Remember it is freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.

[Jezter]

The problem is that people believe that "separation of church and state" is actually in the Constitution somewhere. I assure you it is not. That statement was from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 and has nothing to do with the Constitution or actual law.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

Congress is not establishing a religion so that part is out. Technically by forcing removal of the cross they are infringing on the right to "free exercise". I don't understand how atheists could possibly win any of these arguments.

Remember it is freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.

This. So much this. :tup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The problem is that people believe that "separation of church and state" is actually in the Constitution somewhere. I assure you it is not. That statement was from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 and has nothing to do with the Constitution or actual law.

And it always pisses me off to no end when people start spouting off the "Constitutional guarantee of the separation of church and state" and nobody ever calls them out on it.

[Hal-9000]

I absentmindedly cross myself when certain people here get on the forklift..

[Acid Trip]

I absentmindedly cross myself when certain people here get on the forklift..

:rofl: I just got a great mental picture of Hal going ape shit on a newbie that crashed one of his forklifts.

[Hal-9000]

:rofl: I just got a great mental picture of Hal going ape shit on a newbie that crashed one of his forklifts.

:lol:

you got it wrong man...I don't go ape shit on people, I get all religious on their ass :x



evol vs creation...get it?? :dance: I'm so damn clever it hurts

[Acid Trip]

Evol is love spelled backwards. Eminem taught me that.

[Hal-9000]

dog is God, Santa is satan and all that?


good stuff to know :thumbsup:

[Muddy]

*Holds a cross against Hals forehead and burns his skin*

[Hal-9000]

I'm a night prowler