Despite Atheists’ Absurd Claims, Ground Zero Cross does not Violate the ConstitutionFor more than a decade, the Ground Zero Cross has stood as a symbol
of hope, found rising out of the rubble at Ground Zero in the aftermath
of the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history.
Yet, the American Atheists actually argue in federal court that the mere “existence of the cross” is causing them “depression, headaches, anxiety, and mental pain and anguish.”
The cross exists because it is was what was left of the remains of
the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 – two
intersecting steel beams found amongst the wreckage and rubble at Ground
Zero.
The atheist lawsuit,
however, ignores these facts, arguing that the “cross constitutes an
unlawful attempt to promote a specific religion on government land.”
They state that this piece of 9/11 history “promotes Christianity” and
“constitutes discrimination against non-Christians.”
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Ground Zeros Cross is a part of the National September 11
Memorial & Museum’s “Historical Exhibition” – one of over 800
artifacts from Ground Zero.
It is, as the 9/11 museum has stated, an “important and essential artifact,”
critical to telling the story of what happened at Ground Zero. The
Ground Zero Cross became a symbol of hope to so many during the recovery
effort in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks and has
continued to provide comfort to the families of those affected years
later.
As the National September 11 Memorial & Museum correctly argues
in its court filings, “there is no legal authority for the proposition
that a museum is prohibited from displaying an item with historical,
cultural or artistic significance merely because that item also has
religious significance.”
In fact, the opposite is true. The Supreme Court
has repeatedly held that the Constitution’s “goal of avoiding
governmental endorsement does not require eradication of all religious
symbols in the public realm.”
While the atheists claim that the “cross is grossly and outrageously at variance with the Constitution,” it is their lawsuit that is grossly and outrageously out of touch with reality.
Join us in protecting this important piece of 9/11 history by signing our brief to defend the Ground Zero Cross.