{"id":7074,"date":"2014-07-29T17:38:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T17:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/court-allows-911-cross-to-remain-standing-at-ground-zero-96571\/"},"modified":"2014-07-29T17:38:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-29T17:38:00","slug":"court-allows-911-cross-to-remain-standing-at-ground-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/07\/court-allows-911-cross-to-remain-standing-at-ground-zero\/","title":{"rendered":"Court allows 9\/11 cross to remain standing at Ground Zero"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Washington D.C., Jul 29, 2014 \/ 11:38 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Rejecting arguments from an atheist group, a federal appeals court ruled Monday that the iconic cross found at the site of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks may remain at the 9\/11 Museum.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe history of 9\/11 would not be complete without including the impact the Ground Zero Cross had in inspiring rescue workers and Americans generally,\u201d said Eric Baxter, counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, in a July 28 statement.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cDisplaying the cross in a display about \u2018Finding Meaning at Ground Zero\u2019 is perfectly appropriate,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

\tThe Becket Fund for Religious Liberty had filed a brief supporting the museum\u2019s ability to display the cross, which was discovered amid piles of rubble by recovery workers in the aftermath of the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.<\/p>\n

\tNearly 20 feet tall, the cross was formed by two intersecting metal beams from the fallen skyscrapers. It became a place of gathering and prayer for recovery workers at the site, with many people posting prayers and petitions to the structure.<\/p>\n

\tSince 2011, the cross has been part of the World Trade Center Museum. In July 2011, however, American Atheists filed suit against the display, charging that the presence of the cross was offensive and marginalized them as atheists.<\/p>\n

\tThe suit added that the presentation of the cross led to injury \u201cin consequence of having a religious tradition not their own imposed upon them through the power of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIn 2013, a district court upheld the display of the cross, saying that it had a secular purpose and did not \u201ccreate excessive entanglement between the state and religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAmerican Atheists appealed that ruling, arguing that the display still \u201calienates non-Christians seeking to commemorate the dead, wounded and other affected persons,\u201d and that \u201cthe overwhelmingly dominant display of the cross over any other religious symbolism is a violation of the Establishment Clause.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBut in their July 28 ruling, federal judges on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals decided that \u201cdisplaying The Cross at Ground Zero to tell the story of how some people used faith to cope with the tragedy is genuine, and an objective observer would understand the purpose of the display to be secular.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThey continued, noting that the cross is included in an exhibit entitled \u201cFinding Meaning at Ground Zero,\u201d which includes artifacts from a variety of faith perspectives as well as non-religious pieces. Therefore, the judges said, \u201can objective observer would not view the display as endorsing religion generally, or Christianity specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe ruling drew praise from Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, which had also filed a brief in support of the cross remaining in the memorial museum.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis decision is a significant constitutional victory that protects the freedom to display religiously-themed artifacts of historical or artistic significance without running afoul of the Constitution,\u201d Sekulow said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis bizarre legal challenge from an atheist group was exposed for what it was \u2013 a skewed legal challenge that had no merit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C., Jul 29, 2014 \/ 11:38 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Rejecting arguments from an atheist group, a federal appeals court ruled Monday that the iconic cross found at the site of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks may remain at the 9\/11 Museum.<\/p>\n

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