Re: Battle over 9/11 cross at memorial site

[Sweetdeath]

I'm surprised someone hasn't posted this yet.  A huge metal cross is landmarked at the ground zero memorial site.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheist-groups-lawsuit-against-wtc-cross-sad-and-misguided-52940/

"The attempt to remove the cross is another sad and misguided example of incessant efforts to remove all religious symbols from public ife," Forbes said. "To remove this cross, a physical part of the history of that tragic day would be an insult to the many who found solace in its symbolism." Forbes noted that the cross, made up of two ntersecting steel beams found intact amid the rubble of the 2001 terrorist attacks, "has served as a symbol of hope for many devastated by the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history."

[Medusa]

Well I agree it should be taken down. The Christians didn't think it a befitting place for anything Islamic. So now they know what it feels like. I say build a super Walmart with a McDonald's inside and call it a grand worshiping place. Everyone worships smiley low prices and french fries.

[Sweetdeath]

I agree. And how obnoxious is it to assume everyone who died/was affected by 9/11 was religious? Or even Catholic/Christian?

I'm sure muslims and atheists died all the same.

I was for the mosque btw. It was actually a community center for ALL PEOPLE.

It made me sick to see people protesting it, acting so high and mighty.  ...

[Whitney]

It's just a piece of wreckage that happens to look like a cross...they aren't going to win any more than they could win a case against government funds maintain a historic church or religious artifacts in a museum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center_cross

I think they should just come up with a nicely worded plaque about how people of many worldview, cultures etc died that day and insist that it be installed one one of the sides of the base of the cross shaped beams.

[Sweetdeath]

Well, i'm certain people are going to be gripping their rosaries  and praying beside it.  No religious objects should be the best thing. This still seems a bit tasteless...

[Tank]

I think they should erect symbols to all the belief, and non-belief, systems or none at all.

[Medusa]

I think they sould errect symbols to all the belief, and non-belief, systems or none at all.

Maybe just a statue of a human being would do. But then again I've seen pictures of the places directly across and near the site. A strip club is right near there if I remember correctly. It's not exactly a holy place of any kind.

[Tank]

I think they should erect symbols to all the belief, and non-belief, systems or none at all.

Maybe just a statue of a human being would do. But then again I've seen pictures of the places directly across and near the site. A strip club is right near there if I remember correctly. It's not exactly a holy place of any kind.

Yep that would be the best idea.

EDIT: Maybe a group of people. If there were just the one would it be male/female, african/caucasian/asian? Could be quite a large group to be totally politically correct!!

[Sweetdeath]

I think they should erect symbols to all the belief, and non-belief, systems or none at all.

Maybe just a statue of a human being would do. But then again I've seen pictures of the places directly across and near the site. A strip club is right near there if I remember correctly. It's not exactly a holy place of any kind.

Yep that would be the best idea.

EDIT: Maybe a group of people. If there were just the one would it be male/female, african/caucasian/asian? Could be quite a large group to be totally politically correct!!

Actually, that's a really good idea!  After all, human beings died that day, of all creed. Human beings went into the toxic smoke to try to find any sign of life.  Peope took action to help on this tragedy, so why the heck are we putting up a cross? 

I think we should plant a beautiful garden. Flowers are a symbol of life and death. People can sit there and enjoy them together without religion being involved.

[Recusant]

Though I agree with most of the things that American Atheists choose to make statements on, and also agree with most of those public statements, I think that their seeming desire to be a confrontational voice of atheism in America actually does little to further a goal of making atheism less vilified and more accepted in the US. Their PR campaign seems to be focused on a fairly strident tone, playing into the Fox News caricature of atheists as mere God-haters.

Since this cross (which is undeniably a Christian symbol, contrary to the assertion of Justice Scalia) has historic significance, and is also a symbol of hope for Christians, I think that even though American Atheists may be technically correct, a better approach might be to champion something along the lines of what Tank suggested; an ecumenical memorial which, along with the cross, would acknowledge the dead who belonged to other faiths and those who belonged to none.

[Tank]

Atheists face death threats on Fox Facebook page; re: 9/11 cross

Death threats aimed at American Atheists populated the Fox News Facebook page after Blair Scott, Communications Director for American Atheists, appeared on America Live with Megyn Kelly Thursday.

Scott's appearance on Fox News was motivated by the recent complaint filed by American Atheists and others with the state of New York asking for fair and equal treatment by the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

American Atheists argue that inclusion of the 9/11 cross and the exclusion of representations suitable to non-Christians constitutes a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States...

At the bottom of the page is a slide show of screen captures of the death threats and they haven't pixelated the user names. So I've invited one (Sindy Clock) to come over and see what nice atheists are like

[Sweetdeath]

Death threats?    Oh, religious people are such a peaceful bunch.   

[fester30]

Keep the cross and add mangled iron that looks like the symbol for the atom with an a in it

[Tank]

Keep the cross and add mangled iron that looks like the symbol for the atom with an a in it

Based on something like this?

[ThinkAnarchy]

I think a new skyscraper should simply be built. I never understood this memorializing mentality. Personally, if I had a close friend or relative die there, I wouldn't want it to become a bigger tourist attraction.