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.

[al_c]

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.

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."

Up yours, Ellen Johnson!!!!! You fighting this cross is insulting to me! Get over it. We have freedom of religion in this country. If you don't like it, leave!

[al_c]

Is a symbol representing the different religions of all those killed, planned to be erected also? If not, why?

Because they'd rather fight this one that put up their own.

[DonGrafico]

Atheist Group: An Insult

[alnick]

I hate it when my copy and paste doesn't work. Disregard the comment about the Holocaust. That was leftover from another conversation.

[alnick]

What Pledge of Allegiance did this come from?

Why didn't you ask him that question about the other documents that he listed?

[stuartcr]

Please tell me where in either of those documents, Christianity is referenced.

[whereasandsoforth]

Why should there be? There is only one true God and it would be a good idea for America to recognize Him only. Why must we pander to those other bogus religions? If "they" are insulted, so be it. Let them go reside in a nation that is based on their god.

[stuartcr]

There's always traffic circles.

[Bikers4Bush]

Wonder why that is. Makes you think doesn't it? If they find any of the others they can put them up as well until then they can shut the hell up.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Federal blackrobes are responsible for ending "prayer" in public schools.

Under our RATIFIED Constitution, in which there is no hint of a doctrine of separation of church and State. That excuse was created by blackrobes as empowerment to the State over the will of the people in spite of our 1st Amendment's "Congress shall make no law..."

O'Hare was simply litigating.

[Between the Lines]

Is a symbol representing the different religions of all those killed, planned to be erected also? If not, why?

This is just a part of the WTC that happens to resemble a cross. Is that so offensive? Had other parts of the WTC been found that looked like the Star of David or other religious symbols, I would have no problem with them being displayed either.

People see what they want to see. This piece was not fashioned to resemble a cross. Yet not only Christians see this wreckage as a cross, but so do atheists. I think their protests are not so much against a religious symbol, but a denial that they see the same thing in this cross as do Christians. And it scares them. Why else protest just another piece of wreckage being used in part of a memorial?

[Dave Olson]

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.

True enough. But why should athiests be upset over merely a "cross-member structure piece"? Seems to me that the very fact that they are so agitated by it says that even they see something more in it than they outwardly profess.

[stuartcr]

Where did that quote come from?

[MattAMiller]

Can we not do this this time around? This is an actual part of history. It was in papers all over the world and whole lot of people took a lot of comfort in it.

[stuartcr]

Of course there's only one true God for all, and He transcends any of the religions that are here on earth, whether Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, etc.

[bedolido]

I would guess that there's a representative from every religion dead from the 9/11 attack. Post a wall with the names and their religion. Erect the Cross and representations from all religions. Every religion suffered from this evil... even Islam. I would object to a satanist symbol though (I can't help myself. pure evil not allowed)

[Terriergal]

hear hear. I'm sick of the whiny atheists. I'm offended that their symbol of their religion (evolution) seems to be casually mentioned everywhere you turn, including kid's cartoons and bedtime stories) but ours isn't allowed.

[bedolido]

and if the person is an atheist, erect a big empty symbolic hole.

[Terriergal]

Erect the Cross and representations from all religions.

The faithless would still be annoyed. Maybe we could put a pic of Nebraska Man up there to satisfy them.

[fly_so_free]

That cross was an intergal part of 9/11. There were pictures of it everywhere-in all the magazines. It meant , and still means, so much to the rescue workers and to our nation. It was a big part of the story

But, it's 2 years later now and I see the effort is on to remove God from 9/11 .

Has any one else noticed that pictures of the cross seem to be now missing from images being shown from the wreckage? It's like they have been edited out. This is being done delibrately I think.

They are trying to distort reality and make a God-free version of 9/11 History. They don't want any one to remember how people turned to God that day, and what role He played in helping us through it.

Lord Forgive me- but I Hate these people, who constantly attack God and actively try to censor any religious expression at all. I just can't help it.