Rather than erecting a giant cross in the park and standing beside that symbol of faith, they might consider taking a spot at the grill, feeding the hungry, forgiving and asking forgiveness. That would be more than just symbolic. That would be practicing what they preach.
I agree with the referenced article that the above actions are probably more heartfelt expressions of faith than erecting a cross. But the Virginian-Pilot is wrong about what the Constitution and its history actually indicate about religious expressions of faith.
To make a long story short, this post (<-click), while addressing a tax-related issue, tells how FDR unthinkingly weakened the 10th A. protected powers of the states when he established his constitutionally unauthorized New Deal federal spending programs.
Then keeping in mind that the now-ignored 10th A. protected powers of the states include the power to address religious issues, this post (<-click) tells how corrupt justices later used FDR's "license" to ignore the 10th A. to unconstitutionally limit our religious freedoms, also scandalously legalizing abortion.
Sadly, the reason that the federal government is getting away with ignoring 10th A. protected state powers and stifling our religious freedoms is because ignorance of the Constitution, its history and how the government is supposed to work is epidemic. Widespread constitutional ignorance is evidenced by the following links.
http://tinyurl.com/npt6tThe consequence of widespread constitutional ignorance is that the people are impotent to take a firm stance against government officials who unthinkingly limit religious expression as evidenced by this cross issue.
http://tinyurl.com/hehr8
The people need to reconnect with the intentions of the Founders as reflected by the Constitution and its history. The people need to wise up to the major problem that the federal government is now not only operating outside the restraints of the federal Constitution, but also ignoring 10th A. protected state powers, wrongly limiting our religious freedoms by doing so. The bottom line is that the people need to quit sitting on their hands and vote Constitution-ignoring federal and state government leaders out of office.
People may differ on this issue, but that is not something for either the Pilot or the local cops to decide.
Look, I am not a fan of in-your-face proselytizing. But personal style is not a constitutional issue. The people who put up the cross were making the statement that they were Christians. If they wanted to work the food line, they may have exhibited certain Christian virtues, but they would have been indistinguishable from the atheists next to them.
They had every right to let people know their religious beliefs, even if that exhibition was counterproductive, as long as it was not disruptive. It's mere presence was not disruptive. End of case.