Posted on 11/22/2004 4:03:34 PM PST by TERMINATTOR
For more than two years, Rev. Jim Potter has fought Anderson County officials for the right to leave up a giant Christian cross he erected near I-75. On Monday, a judge sided with the county, ordering Rev. Potter to remove the cross.
County officials argued that the cross, located on private property near exit 122, violated building and zoning regulations.
But Rev. Potter said he believed that because of the significance of religious structures, his cross should be exempt from the zoning regulations.
"I think it (the cross) should bring to knowledge the fact that Jesus Christ did die for us on a cross, and that's His cross. It ain't mine," Rev. Potter said after hearing the judge's decision.
He added that he believes the court's decision violates his constitutional right to freedom of religious expression.
"When it comes to Christian work, they try to smother it, I reckon," says Potter.
But Anderson County Building Commissioner Curtos Perez says religion has nothing to do with the dispute.
"The County's not objecting to any religious structure," says Perez. "What they look at is that all structures are the same. It doesn't make a difference between them."
Because the judge attributed ownership of the giant cross to Potter, the preacher will face a fine of $50 per day until the structure is removed.
LOL. It's a garden variety zoning and building code violation, but no doubt a bunch on this site will get into a bunch over it.
ANDERSON COUNTY JUDGE MUST COME DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anderson County Tennessee is a VERY unusual county. THE Oak Ridge, of nuke fame, is in Anderson County and as one would expect Oak Ridge has a very highly educated population. Oak Ridge also has among the highest (if not the highest), property taxes in Tennessee and is has strict zoning regs. The rest of the county is pretty much what you would expect to find in a rural East Tennessee County. The County thus has a split personality, neither gets along with or understands the other. There are all sort of weird and bizarre courthouse politics and open hostilities between elected officials. No behavior seems to result in an official being thrown out of office.
Sounds like you're familiar with the area. I used to live in Oak Ridge. Family moved there in 1967. Graduated from ORHS. I agree - the county is an interesting mix of rural and high-tech PhD's.
That's so cute.....You think that there is such a thing as "private property."
I know those crosses. They are beautiful. I love to see them on a misty or foggy night, such as tonight. Since you live in Memphis, you can relate to the aforementioned timeframe. I hope and pray the ACLU never touches them. Being Catholic, I applaud those at Bellevue Baptist Church for erecting them. I am so not offended. If someone is, tolerate it. Those crosses are there to stay.
Moral Absolutes Ping. Okay, exactly how against zoning violations is this cross? It would be interesting to hear the preacher's side of the story.
Remember when the Taliban bombed the ancient, giant statues of Buddha?* See any connection?
To people who hate God (and the Taliban do hate God - if they really loved Him, they wouldn't be hateful demons!), there's nothing as loathesome as any kind of symbol, name, holiday, book, or any other object that reminds them of God. Worst of all is someone speaking God's truth.
Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.
*I am not claiming Buddha to be God (although he is reverenced kind of as though he were around the world). But Buddhism is a kind of borderline philosophical "religion" in a sense, and even that was enough to rouse the ire of the Taliban. Since leftists in the US have often faddishly embraced what they think is "Buddhism", Buddhist statues don't offend them.
Too bad they don't actually follow Buddha's teachings - they'd all be mendicant vegetarian monks, wearing one cloth and owning nothing.
=== is this the same giant cross by I-75 that's right next door to a porn shop? North of Knoxville
Funny ... I thought of that one too.
I wonder when we'll get to the point that broadcasters fine or otherwise go after those who position naked blonds wearing nothing but a Christian cross such that the entirety of the nation's football fans risk offense.
The judge's name isn't even mentioned, for fear of a lynch mob.
Neither is the state mentioned! I'll bet there are quite a few Anderson Counties out there.
I wonder if Potter first tried to get a variance from the zoning restrictions?
I know this looks "anti-religious," but I sure wouldn't want something like that looming over my home or backyard.
And if there are no nearby structures or throughfares that it would have endangered, then Potter very likely could have gotten his variance.
Instead, he chose the path of maximum publicity.
No. This cross is located at Clinton, TN., not near Royal Blue, TN. Both crosses are located along I-75, north of Knoxville, though.
Why is it that “today signup” newbies go back and reply to 10 year old threads?
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