Last week, I posted about a display that sits in taxpayer-funded Young’s Park in Knoxville, Iowa. It features a kneeling soldier, gun in hand, next to a Christian cross:
Americans United for Separation of Church and State called on the local city council to remove or change the display in order to avoid a lawsuit, but officials weren’t budging.
While the City Manager said the issue would be discussed at the next city council meeting on September 8, City Council member Tim Pitt expressed his views on Facebook. Among other things, he claims the cross has nothing to do with Christianity.
… I had hoped that this would not become a major issue as I figured that it was one person complaining, and I also know that the people of Knoxville are generally pretty tolerant and will typically let things such as this slide. Sadly, I was obviously mistaken. This individual has decided to escalate the situation to a point where it can no longer be ignored…
The individual didn’t “escalate” the situation. He pointed out that the government was doing something wrong. The government ignored him instead of saying “Thank you.” So he told a group that the government can’t ignore.
In response to the person that has become offended by the use of a cross at one of our public parks I would first like to say that the cross is not intended as a religious symbol in this instance. In this instance it is intended as a member of the military paying his respects to a fallen soldier.
How convenient is this argument that the cross isn’t about Christianity? Sure, it’s the same symbol everyone associates with the faith. Sure, other groups have used the symbol to represent Christianity in similar displays. But we’re totally not doing that!
The cross is a religious symbol. Even moreso when it’s in this context of death and paying respects.
To take something like this and twist it into some sort of perverted version of being “offended” makes me absolutely sick…
It’s not about being “offended.” There are people who care about the Constitution, and there are people (sometimes in positions of power) who toss it aside when it gets in the way of promoting their faith.
Not everything is meant as an attack on one person or group individually yet everything seems to be taken personally by everyone and somehow, someone ALWAYS manages to be offended, and I’ve had ENOUGH. If you are offended by a monument that honors our military, and if you are offended even if that was meant to be a religious symbol, and even if you are offended by this very post, I’ve got news for you. I AM NOT SORRY. I will not give in to someone whose feelings have apparently been hurt, or someone who feels that the entire city needs to bend to their every whim. GET OVER IT.
What sort of politician resorts to ALL CAPS when angry? The only people who do that are 12-year-olds discovering the Internet and Christians who feel persec–oh right.
Again, it’s very easy to pretend like this is no big deal when it’s your faith promoted by the display. If there was a Pagan or Islamic symbol on the display instead, I promise you Pitt would be among the first whining about the “assault” on his religion.
… the day I vote to pull that cross, or that rock, or ANY part of that monument to our Armed Forces is the day I resign in shame from our Knoxville City Council. That vote comes over my cold, dead body. You want that cross? Come get it. I’ll meet you there.
Is that a veiled threat? Anyway, no one’s disrespecting the Armed Forces. Americans United, unlike Pitt, wants to honor all the veterans, not just the Christian ones. The cross doesn’t need to be there. The rest of the memorial is fine.
…
If you plan to attend the September 8 City Council meeting, you may want to bring along a diaper bag and bottle. I don’t think Pitt can make it through the full meeting without someone tending to his needs.
(Image via Imgur. Thanks to Joe for the link)
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