Atheists Protest Ground Zero Cross

WorldNetDaily ^ | Posted: June 18, 2002 | By Ron Strom

[Bad~Rodeo]

Decry plan to use symbol as part of 9-11 memorial

:

The organization American Atheists is protesting a proposal to use a large steel cross found in the rubble of the World Trade Center in a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Describing itself as a "nationwide movement which defends the civil rights of nonbelievers," the group said in a statement yesterday that use of the cross in a government-funded monument "would violate the separation of church and state, be insensitive to those victims who had no religious beliefs and would incredibly pay homage to religion – the prime motivating factor in the faith-based attack of Sept. 11."

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation is the local agency in charge of planning for the rebuilding of the site.

Ed Malloy, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council and a board member of the agency, has asked that the cross be made a permanent part of any future memorial.

According to the New York Daily News, construction workers, firefighters, police officers and family members have held weekly Sunday services at the site of the cross since Sept. 11.

"We're hoping it will stay right where it is and become part of any permanent memorial," Malloy was quoted as saying in the Daily News.

Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists objects to the possibility that the cross might be used in a taxpayer-supported project.

"This is an inappropriate use of taxpayer money," she said in the statement, "You can't take government funds to promote religion, especially sectarian religion in the form of a cross or any other religious symbol."

Johnson added that any memorial to the victims of the attacks "should bring Americans together, not divide them on the basis or religion or anything else."

Ron Barrier, national spokesman for the group, stressed that Muslims, Hindus and other non-Christians were killed in the attacks as well.

What about them? he asked. "Are we going to turn the site of the WTC into a religious shrine with competing religious slogans, symbols and displays? Any monument to the victims, and those who helped in the aftermath of Sept. 11 should be tasteful, as well as a unifying statement about America and humanity.

"Christian symbols are as inappropriate as a Muslim crescent or some other religious label," Barrier said.

Construction worker Frank Silecchia happened upon the perfectly symmetrical cross in the midst of the WTC wreckage just a few days after the attacks. It was standing straight, 20-feet high, surrounded by many smaller crosses.

"When I first saw it, it took my heart," Silecchia said. "It helped me heal the burden of my despair, and gave me closure on the whole catastrophe."

Said WorldNetDaily columnist Ann Coulter in an October column : "The cross at Ground Zero was not simply the cross beams remaining from an existing building. It was formed out of beams from Building One plunging, splitting and crashing into Building Six."

"There's no symmetry to anything down there," an FBI chaplain said at the time, "except those crosses."

Johnson said that her group would go to court if necessary to challenge the use of government money for the placement of any religious symbol at the WTC site.

[CecilRhodesGhost]

What about the separation of church and state? If one religion's symbol (ie cross, star of david, etc) is allowed to be an official part of an official govt. site, then doesn't that open up dangerous issues for future endeavors? The fundamentalists in any religion should not dictate the tone or decorations for a public govt. memorial, or should they? How does one religious symbol gain acceptance, as opposed to others? As a global community, some argue that fundamentalist around the world (fueled by any religion) are a major cause of wars and bloodshed. Should all religions be equated with the same worldwide hope for peace, and treated as one universal belief? For globalism to function well, all people need to put aside their religious differences and preferences. That might be the reason some residents are protesting the proposed addition of a Christian symbol. There are two sides to every coin, and as the world shrinks, we can not afford to pretend that there is only one-side.

[Jennifer in Florida]

Here's the cross:

[hobbes1]

Johnson said that her group would go to court if necessary to challenge the use of government money for the placement of any religious symbol at the WTC site.

OK.... I say a group of us get together, and instead, plant those crosses in their Heathen Asses.

[Dimensio]

Notice that these 'atheists' have no problem with Muslims or any of the 'designer religions' that have popped up, like Scientology.

You don't talk to many atheists, do you?

[Jennifer in Florida]

"A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you." John 16:2-4 NIV

[SuziQ]

I have an idea though. The cross could be donated to a church and placed in the church's front yard. Some highly public church.

Interesting suggestion. It could be placed (with their permission of course) at the Church near Ground Zero where the firemen brought the body of Fr. Judge when he died. That way the atheists could bitch and moan all they want, but they wouldn't be able to do anything about it because it will be on the grounds of a Catholic Church, NOT public property!

I would be interested to see, however, the public commments when this protest by the atheists is publicized nationwide.

[Jennifer in Florida]

"Why people are so intent on taking away a symbol so meaningful to most of those who work at the site and presumably, to those who died there, is beyond me."

Maybe because their own lives are so empty of anything meaningful that they resent those who have found hope and faith in a world gone mad.

Good point.

[Equality 7-2521]

OK.... I say a group of us get together, and instead, plant those crosses in their Heathen Asses.

Although I have no problem with religion or the expression of faith, I notice that it often progresses to threats of violence against those who have differing views. Maybe this is what the atheists in question fear and not the symbol of religion itself.

[ELS]

So, you're saying the government should promote the religion of atheism? How about the free exercise of religion spoken of in the Constitution? How is Congress passing a law establishing a religion by there being a cross on the WTC site?

[Sloth]

Somebody remind me, who owns the land there? The Port Authority?

[1Old Pro]

Sheesh. If they believe in nothing then we will plant nothing in the ground for them. Thus we now have equality and they can sit down and shut up.

[hellinahandcart]

The Port Authority owns the land. Larry Silverman owns a 99-year-lease on the land (with a little over 98 years left on it).

[sayfer bullets]

I thought the idea of a memorial would be irrelevant for atheists.

How perceptive. It's amazing the energy spent fighting ONE religion.

[Dimensio]

Where do atheists go after they die anyway? Do they just kindof disappear, like "poof!" and cease to exist?

Well, given that there's little (as in none) evidence for consciousness carrying on after the cessation of chemical reactions in the brain, it's pretty much something like that. The "light at the end of the tunnel" is kind of like that little white dot you see on older televisions before it all goes black.

[gura]

>So, you're saying the government should promote
>the religion of atheism?

Atheism is not a religion. If you disagree, please provide the name of the deity that atheists worship.

>How about the free exercise of religion spoken of in
>the Constitution?

You're free to display and do whatever you want on private property.

Well, unless you're wiccan, because they're evil devil worshippers, right?

>How is Congress passing a law establishing a
>religion by there being a cross on the WTC site?

Because they're planning on using the tax dollars of jews, mulsims, atheists, flat-earthers and democrats to build it.

And whether or not you like it, they're Americans too.

-Scott in KC

[gridlock]

I thought the idea of a memorial would be irrelevant for atheists.

I have a bunch of wind up doggies. You turn the key and set them down and they move their feet, wag their tails and bark. I get them all going and it is really fun.

But I notice that when one of them winds down, the rest of them seem sad.

[Sloth]

Atheism is not a religion. If you disagree, please provide the name of the deity that atheists worship.

You evidently define religion as the worship of a deity. I would dispute that.

[Dimensio]

You evidently define religion as the worship of a deity.

I would dispute that too, but atheism is still not a religion.

[PhilipNolan95126]

The Port Authority owns the land. It also owned the buildings that were the WTC towers. They leased out space in the buildings but they had sold the leases to a private investor. That basically meant that the private investor owned the rent stream from the leases (which, of course, dried up when the buildings collapsed) but no possessory interest in the land or buldings. So it remains a City of NY issue. BTW, I am an atheist and I think these religiously fanatic atheists are a bunch of jerks. I think the cross should be left as it is, where it is and anything that is built up at the should be built around it. Taxpayer money was not spent to create it and taxpayer money should not be used to demolish or remove it so these clowns have no right to complain.