I assume that you agree that our government should not establish or recognize an official religion and force or even encourage citizens to follow that religion. Do you agree?
The problem is, what actions constitute the establishment or recognition of an official religion? Obviously we will not have a law that says "The official religion is ... " But, hypothetically, what about giving preferential treatment to gov employees of one religion? Is this OK with you? Hypothetically, how about the government providing land and buidings for churches of a religion? Is this OK?
If these are not OK then how about this? Government buildings displaying religious prayers of one religion? Or religious symbols?
Our courts have decided that the best way to deal with these issues and meet the intentions of our founding fathers is to keep completely separate church and state.
As to the monument you linked to: Imagine that radical Islamists wanted to put a large statue of Mohammed holding a Koran at the entrance to Arlington Cemetery. Would that be OK? Not with me. The only difference between that and the memorial with the cross is that you personally approve of the cross. But if you don't want one then you can't have the other.
I think I made it clear that I consider you a time waster who attacked my intelligence without provocation. As Frist would say, go pound sand. I have no interest in speaking with you or meeting you at a FReep. Go talk to someone else and prove to them how smart you are. I'm not interested.
You are attempting to distort the meaning of the Constitution and the intention of this country's founders. According to you, the government-dictated teaching of the theory of evolution thus violates the Constitution as it contradicts the religious beliefs of American citizens.
The presentation of a belief, symbol, or teaching does result in compulsion. A person is not forced to believe in evolution by the teaching of evolution. A person is not forced to believe in God by the presentation of religious symbols. An atheist is no more forced to believe in God by the presence of religious symbols or expressions on public property as a Christian is forced to believe in evolution by the legislated requirement that it be taught in public schools.
The founders intended that the beliefs of the People would continue to be expressed by its government. It was evident in their invocation of God, the placement of Christian symbols, and their usage of Christian beliefs in the formation of our nations' laws. That is the nature of our democratic republic. Remember we have the right to freedom of religious belief and expression, not the right to freedom from religious belief and expression. The expression of religious belief was not to be restricted.
Note the portion of the First Amendment that is at issue: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or *prohibiting the free exercise thereof*...." It was not intended that the Federal government not express the religious beliefs of the People. Rather, the selection's original inspiration indicates precisely what was intended: "That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practise Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other." The Founding Fathers considered the government of the United States to be essentially based upon Christian belief. It was not intended to be atheistic, but to be Christian!
Is a Christian not capable of being a Christian *and* a representative of the People of the United States of America? Is a government founded upon Christian beliefs not capable of governinng non-Christians? The overwhelming majority of the People of the United States are religious, though to varying degrees. Our nation's founders were also men possessing religious beliefs, though they too were diverse and varied in their public expression of it. To prohibit the expression of religious belief is to take another step towards divorcing the Federal government from the People and the Principles upon which this nation was founded.