Atheist Group: 'Ground Zero Cross' An Insult

Talon News ^ | 09/10/03 | Jimmy Moore

[bedolido]

NEW YORK (Talon News) -- An atheist group is fighting an effort to place a cross at the site of the World Trade Center towers as a memorial to the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The American Atheists, which was begun by renowned anti-Christian activist Madalyn Murray O'Hare before she died, are opposed to displaying the 20-foot tall cross that was found by a rescue worker named Frank Silecchia in the midst of the rubble just a few days after the buildings collapsed.

Silecchia said he "cried for 20 minutes after his discovery," the Associated Press reported at the time. "Some people will say it's velocity of physics that put it there. To me, it's an act of God."

That cross, along with many smaller crosses around it, served as a source of comfort for many of the construction workers, firefighters, policemen, and family members of the victims in the weeks following the loss of thousands of American lives.

The cross bears the names of police officers and firefighters who gave their lives on September 11, 2001. Also inscribed on the cross are the words "God Bless Our Fallen Brothers."

Nevertheless, American Atheists has threatened to sue for the right to keep this cross from becoming a part of a World Trade Center memorial.

"Tax money must not be used to construct any sectarian memorial," remarked American Atheists President Ellen Johnson.

Johnson said allowing the cross in the memorial would "insult the victims, rescue workers, and other Americans who are not Christians, who do not believe in a deity, and are not religious."

The project developer, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, indicated previously that the cross should be included as part of the memorial display.

Supporters of the "Ground Zero Cross," as it has become known, believe it should be a part of the memorial as a lasting symbol and tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks.

Copyright © 2003 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> These guys really piss me off. <<

>> I'm sick of the whiney atheists. <<

Ditto that. I am a Christian. I believe the Jesus died on the cross for my sins so that I may serve my Lord in Heaven for all eternity. These are my beliefs and have been since I was a child.

The only reason that the atheists are offended by the cross is that they know deep down there is a God. They don't like knowing that there are consequences for their deeds. They want all reminders to be taken away so they won't feel bad. Well tough. There is a God and whether you believe in Him or not, one day you will meet him face to face and will have to explain yourself.

I've seen pictures of evil faces in the smoke of the burning towers. Maybe these atheists would like that for their symbol.

I am not offended by their disbelief so why are they so offended by my belief? What does offend me is when they try to take away the things that give people strength and hope.

/rant off

[texgal]

Then why isn't everyone a Christian?

Read the Bible, it will tell you why.

[cryptical]

Might be because a cross-member is a pretty standard structural piece, as opposed to a Star-of-David, or a Crescent, or a Buddhist Wheel of Life.

What would Christians do if Christ died in an electric chair for their sins? (Apologies to Chris Rock)

[Between the Lines]

The cross bears the names of police officers and firefighters who gave their lives on September 11, 2001. Also inscribed on the cross are the words "God Bless Our Fallen Brothers."

WorldNetDaily reports the inscription as being "May God forgive their evil."

Atheists still fighting against WTC cross

I have to wonder which is correct.

[joesnuffy]

One nation under God (the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob)
God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
Though many will not acknowledge Him for the present
All are under His authority...in the end all will know who He is
and EVERY knee shall bow

[willingtodie]

Where does anything say that ours is a Christian nation?
I suggest you read through the Federalist Papers and the Declaration of Independance as well as the Preamble to the Constitution. I am sick of you idiots trying to force your religion on everyone else. This Nation was founded on CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES. Don't like it then leave or live with it.

[El Conservador]

An atheist civil engineer would say that the cross is actually a steel column near one of its splices, connected to two broken steel beams, which appear to be welded, since there are not connecting plates visible.

To me, it's a cross.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> This Nation was founded on CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES. Don't like it then leave or live with it. <<

I second that motion!

[stuartcr]

I don't know.

[stuartcr]

I would guess that since almost all buidings are constructed with right-angles, and not circles, that probably won't happen.

[meg70]

I would say it is pretty amazing that it ended standing upright at the bottom of the rubble, what are the odds?

Even hardened Firefighters and rescure workers were awed in the face of his presence.

[meg70]

And of out of the millions of pieces in the rubble it is just happenstance that the piece ended in the bottom standing unbowed?

[AmericanInTokyo]

Next thing, they'll want to outlaw INTERSECTIONS.

[stuartcr]

It will tell me why not everyone in America isn't a Christian? What page?

[SevenDaysInMay]

The random accidents of physics created this intersection formation. These fussy atheists might prefer any pile of sheetrock, desk furniture, and human ash.

However, what would they then do if from certain angles the Faithful could see in that random dust pile an interpretive image of Mary or Christ?

[nowings]

Finally some sense has been spoken..
This should not be turned into a "Memorial" site.
The best memorial we could build is another set of TWIN TOWERS taller than they were before.This is not to say I agree with the athiests, I just think a "feel good" memorial is sensless.

[alnick]

Because he just publicly defened his father's version of the Holocaust

This nation was founded on Christian principles, and no amount of banning Christian symbols now is going to change that.

I'm sure that if some Jewish people or Muslims or Hindus who lost people in the WTC were to request to have a religious symbol displayed, they would not be denied.

[MarkL]

The Founding Fathers made a critical mistake: they should have established Christianity as the national religion of America (but with tolerance for the practice of other faiths).

Actually, it never occured to them, because they had NO PROBLEM WITH STATE SPONSORED RELIGIONS! The simple fact is that a number of states DID HAVE "official religions," and the reason for the First Amendment was to keep the federal government from imposing any other religion on the states.

The concept of "separation of church and state" is a falacy.

Mark

[stuartcr]

What Pledge of Allegiance did this come from?