Crosses have always been a symbol of hope for Christians worldwide. They know that God is with them when they see a cross and everything will be okay. Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way. Some see the cross as an imposition of religion. Dozens of Elizabethton, Tennessee, residents are protesting after atheist activists demanded the removal of three crosses from purportedly public lands.<\/p>\n
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) wants officials to remove the decades-old crosses on the top of Lynn Mountain. The atheist group claims that the presence of religious symbols on city-owned land violates the First Amendment\u2019s Establishment Clause,\u00a0WJHL-TV reported<\/a>. FFRF legal fellow Karen Heineman told WJHL-TV, \u201cThey are crosses up there by themselves,\u201d FFRF legal fellow Karen Heineman told the outlet. \u201cThey seem to have a pretty obviously Christian message.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u00a0continued, \u201cThey have no other obvious meaning or other messages with them, and it sends, I think, a pretty obvious message of endorsement of Christianity.\u201d However, some disagree with that sentiment. First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit conservative legal firm, has offered pro bono representation to the city and has asserted no constitutional violation is in play. Officials wrote to Elizabethton officials saying, \u201cThere is no indication the Lynn Mountain cross display runs afoul of the Constitution. The display\u2019s reported history and tradition alone make that clear.\u201d<\/p>\n