The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled this that a Christian cross meant to honor fallen military heroes is unconstitutional because it “projects a government endorsement of Christianity.”
Fox News, 7 January 2010
Specifically, the 29-foot concrete cross that stands on Mount Soledad Memorial – which is located in a public park in San Diego, California – must now come down. The cross stood as a memorial to honor Korean War veterans for 57 years, and was originally dedicated “as a reminder of God’s promise to man of everlasting life and of those persons who gave their lives for freedom.”
The legal fight over the cross began in 1989 when atheist Philip Paulson sued the city of San Diego because he felt offended by it. The ACLU, ever eager for an opportunity to denigrate our Judeo-Christian heritage and bastardize the First Amendment, took the fight from there and has won for the moment. The American Legion has already requested that Attorney General Eric Holder appeal the case and a Supreme Court battle is looming.
It may be difficult to remember, but there was actually a time when men entering the United States’ armed services – potentially to lay down their lives for their country – were encouraged to exercise their Christian faith, or any faith tradition they might observe.
