With the decision today by the Supreme Court allowing the memorial cross on Federal land

[DainBramaged]

just Wait you'll see the Fundies start a campaign to erect crosses everywhere on Federal lands. Or you'll see them erected in the dark of night and then there will be immense problems trying to get them taken down,


MARK MY WORDS


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-04-28-mojave-cross_N.htm


A deeply divided Supreme Court revived congressional efforts Wednesday to permit a wooden cross erected in the Mojave National Preserve more than 75 years ago to remain on the park grounds.
By a 5-4 vote, the justices reversed a lower court decision that had invalidated a federal law designed to let the cross remain, in the face of a challenge that it constituted a government endorsement of religion.

The decision does not reinstate the law but returns the case to the lower court and strengthens the government's hand to allow crosses and other religious symbols on public grounds.


TENSE ARGUMENTS: Justices divided over cross on park land
CASE LOG: Major cases facing the Supreme Court
FULL COVERAGE:Latest from the Supreme Court

"Although certainly a Christian symbol, the cross was not emplaced on Sunrise Rock to promote a Christian message," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote of the cross that was put up in 1934 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars to commemorate U.S. soldiers who died in World War I. "Rather, those who erected the cross intended simply to honor our nation's fallen soldiers."

[TheMadMonk]

1. Been there that long. Leave it alone. /nt (BTW: Atheist)

[RobinA]

15. This Atheist

agrees this goes a bit far. Leave the thing alone. Let's concentrate on stuff that matters.

[Winterblues]

23. Except it won't stop there

They now have their foot in the door.

[RagAss]

26. A cross today...a Burning Cross Tomorrow !

[lazarus]

2. why would a cross

honor our fallen soldiers if it has no religious significance?

This is a bullshit decision, as usual from the Roberts court.

[rfranklin]

3. Good thing no Jews died in that war...

Only Christian soldiers...

[DainBramaged]

4. Or Atheists, what about them?

[cherokeeprogressive]

11. It's a five foot tall painted white pipe in the shape of a cross, on a road that doesn't see a

handful of cars every week. I can see how this could be construed as the heavy hand of the government leading the unfaithful to Christ... not. It's actually private property.

[DainBramaged]

12. There are PLENTY of venues to spread the Word of God in this day and age

federal land shouldn't be one of them.....

[Ignis]

24. "It's actually private property." Only because they got caught!

:banghead:

[Junkie Brewster]

13. There were no atheists in WWII

If they were, they converted instantly in the fox hole.

:patriot:

[mmonk]

31. +1

[bobthedrummer]

5. Hi, it isn't what you think at all. Bye.

Bob

[DainBramaged]

9. Hi I am a Christian, and I think it is what I think it am....

:hi:

[shedevil69taz]

6. I guess you could classify me an athiest

but if that cross has been up this long there's no reason to take it down now.

[Onceuponalife]

28. Sorry, but your reply makes no sense

What does length of time have to do with anything? There is no statute of limitations on the Constitution.

And learn how to spell atheist.

[Golden Raisin]

7. Wonder what the Court

and fundies would have to say if, instead of a cross, it was a crescent moon or star of David.

[Rex]

8. So even if it has history, it needs to come down?

What about all the gargoyle statues I've seen on old state/federal buildings!? Are they endorcing unicorns and dragons as well now? I can't believe my taxpayer dollar goes towards the gummit supporting wizards and trolls!

[lazarus]

17. so a violation of the Constitution is okay

so long as it's got some history behind it?

[Rex]

19. Well explain then why we 'swear to tell the truth' on a Bible in a courtroom

and then maybe I will take this kind of stuff seriously. Until then, expect me not so much to.

[lazarus]

21. custom

And you can choose not to, as I did the last time I was "sworn in". The President isn't required to swear on a Bible when he's sworn in, either.

Separation of church and state is a line that shouldn't be crossed. I oppose every bit of crossing whenever it comes up. The religious right is trying desperately to tear down the wall, and, sadly, the courts are going along with it.

[Rex]

27. Sorry, but I think we never established a seperation so I can't really

get mad over something like this. In God we Trust (on all our money), God bless America...etc...

[Onceuponalife]

29. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson disagree

and I think they know a smidgeon more about it than you do.

[Rex]

30. Whatever

I disagree with their views, but that is just me.

[Selatius]

10. I wonder what all the Jews who fought in that war think. nt

[spanone]

14. this court is hell-bent on dissolving the separation between church & state

[Odin2005]

16. what do you expect from a court dominated by consrvative Catholic theocrats?

[DainBramaged]

18. And that's the point of it all.........

[Llewlladdwr]

20. Y'all do know the cross is on private property, right? NT

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. That's actually what the SC case was about. Not about the cross, but whether Congress acted

unconstitutionally by deeding the land underneath the cross to the VFW.

Who cares what the facts are though; the mere sight of a cross incites much wailing and gnashing of teeth in some Americans.

All this over a 5'8" piece of pipe, painted white, on a road that doesn't see 10 cars a day. How underhanded of those VFW types in 1934 to subject the scorpions, lizards, and coyotes to the heavy hand of government, leading them to Christ.

I say let the Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Rastafarians, Frisbeetarians, and whoever else claims Sunrise Rock as their own build whatever the hell they want there. So 10 cars a day can see it.

[Hannah Bell]

33. you do know it didn't start out as "private property," right?

i doubt congress would deed the land to me if i put up a pentagram or

[Toasterlad]

25. I Guess I Can Finally Go Out And Paint Pentagrams All Over National Parkland.

It's my way of honoring the troops who are doing the work of my lord satan.

[saltpoint]

32. Wow. That quote from Justice Kennedy is pretty clueless.

And there's that 5-4 count once again. The legacy of too many Republican presidents' Court appointments.