Utah’s roadside memorial crosses have to go, court rules

[usregimechange]

The tall crosses memorializing fallen Utah Highway Patrol troopers will not come down anytime soon — even though a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that they violate the U.S. Constitution.

The decision, which holds implications for roadside memorial crosses across the nation, likely will be appealed by the state and the nonprofit group that erected themonuments.

They could either ask the full 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the case or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Wednesday’s ruling by a three-judge panel of the Denver-based circuit court — striking down a lower federal court decision — was applauded by those who want to keep church and state separate and decried by those who see it as another nudge pushing religion out of the public square.

“It’s a decision that had to be made,” said the Rev. Tom Goldsmith, of Salt Lake City’s First Unitarian Church. “We need to learn that God and country is not one word.”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50132157-76/crosses-utah-memorials-court.html.csp


Brought to you by the Scalito bloc, i.e. SALAZAR v. BUONO.

[Warpy]

1. We have small scale roadside memorials here in NM

that are spontaneous and done by grieving friends and families of people who have been killed on local roads, too often by drunks. Some of them have been tended for years.

I think the difference is whether it's an official, government display of a religious symbol.

Maybe Utah needs to rethink it, rocks and plaques will work as well.

[usregimechange]

2. No one minds crosses put up by grieving family members, the State erected these

[AnArmyVeteran]

4. You can bet if put a Buddah beside the road fundy Christians would be furious.

If other religions put up roadside memorials with Islamic, Buddhist or Hindu religious paraphernalia you can bet there would be complaints and lots of vandalism.

[Warpy]

5. Some of the less sanguine local atheists have complained

but I'm all for spontaneous, non official memorials. Some of them are quite touching.

My complaint only happens when state money is spent on religious symbolism.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. Actually there has been some controversy over descansos

Some are done on private property without permission, sometimes they are demolished by road crews.

Google "roadside memorial controversy" for fairly diverse views on them

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Descansos are a hispanic tradition

[LAGC]

3. I thought Mormons didn't believe in the Cross anyways?

All their churches have piked steeples (like lightning rods), not crosses on them. That's one of the reasons why so many mainstream Christians disapprove of them and say they aren't "real Christians." I wonder what most Mormons think of this decision?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Ahhhh, not really. Different perspective is more like it

The theological disputes between historical christianity and mormons goes a lot deeper than that.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Have to wonder if the followed the same kind of approach used in the national cemeteries

and used a symbol from that group (its pretty diverse). Those religious symbols are paid for by the Federal government an appear to pass legal scrutiny

http://www.cem.va.gov/hm/hmemb.asp