{"id":1453,"date":"2011-10-31T11:37:13","date_gmt":"2011-10-31T15:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=1453"},"modified":"2011-11-29T15:50:16","modified_gmt":"2011-11-29T20:50:16","slug":"jay-sekulow-protect-montana-war-memorial-under-attack-by-atheist-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/10\/jay-sekulow-protect-montana-war-memorial-under-attack-by-atheist-group.html","title":{"rendered":"Jay Sekulow: Protect Montana War Memorial Under Attack by Atheist Group"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is an organization that is dedicated to removing any vestige of our religious history and heritage in this country. I’m talking about the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) – an atheist, anti-Christian group – that we have battled over the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Day of Prayer, and even the National Motto.
\n\u00a0
\n\"\"<\/a>Now, the FFRF is targeting another historic display – this one in Montana – a statue of Jesus placed on Big Mountain at the Whitefish Mountain Resort nearly 60 years ago<\/a>. The display was erected in the 1950’s by World War II veterans who were also members of the Knights of Columbus. These veterans were inspired by monuments they saw in the mountains of Europe during the war. They put this statue of Jesus in place atop Big Mountain to commemorate the service of local WWII veterans – a war memorial. The display represents a significant piece of the history and heritage of Montana.
\n\u00a0
\nBut, the FFRF calls the memorial “a ruse and a sham”<\/a> and is urging the U.S. Forest Service to end a long-standing lease – a move that would force the display to be removed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Once again, the FFRF is taking its twisted view of the U.S. Constitution and putting pressure on the federal government to remove a time-honored display.
\n\u00a0
\nThe fact is the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the constitutionality of war memorials and other symbols of our history and heritage. The display in Montana is constitutionally sound and is not a violation of the Establishment Clause. That is exactly why we’re standing up to the FFRF.
\n\u00a0
\nYou can imagine the outrage in the local community where this is taking place. One veteran said removing the display<\/a> would be “a slap in the face of the men and women who served their country and built this community.” Another local resident simply asked<\/a>: “Why don’t they just leave us alone?”
\n\u00a0
\nThe head of the Whitefish Mountain Resort says the display is “another piece of the mountain’s history that we want to preserve.” <\/a>And, he placed at plaque at the site that states: “We thank those brave troops that brought this special shrine of Christ to the Big Mountain and hope that you enjoy and respect it.”\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nMontana Congressman, Denny Rehberg, is bringing attention to this issue<\/a>, too, and working to keep the display in place. “It\u2019s really too bad that a few individuals from out-of-state are so eager to ruin something that almost everyone in the community supports,” said Rehberg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Here’s where we stand now.<\/a> The Forest Service initially rejected a renewal of a 10-year lease – a move that certainly set the stage for the removal of the display. As the issue gained attention, though, the Forest Service withdrew its denial – effectively, putting it on hold. Now, the Forest Service says it will take public comment about the display before making a final decision.
\n\u00a0
\nThat’s why your voice is so important. Stand with us now. Sign on to our Letter of Support for the Statue of Jesus in Montana. We’ve successfully challenged the FFRF – the atheist, anti-Christian group – in the past. Now, it’s time to stand-up again.
\n\u00a0
\nAs the Forest Service accepts public comment on this issue, there’s a brief window of opportunity to have your voice heard. Stand with the ACLJ and sign on to our letter now<\/a>. Let the federal government know that this display is not only part of the history and heritage of Montana, but a constitutional war memorial. We are urging the Forest Service to renew the lease without delay.
\n\u00a0
\nOur letter of support is posted here<\/a>. Please add your name now.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We’ll keep you updated on this important issue.<\/p>\n

Jay Sekulow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is an organization that is dedicated to removing any vestige of our religious history and heritage in this country. I’m talking about the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) – an atheist, anti-Christian group – that we have battled over the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Day of Prayer, and even the National Motto. \u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[426,66,427],"tags":[743,428,430,257,791,432,795,434,433,429,796,431],"class_list":["post-1453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-montana","category-u-s-constitution","category-war-memorial","tag-aclj","tag-big-mountain","tag-constitutional-display","tag-freedom-from-religion-foundation","tag-jay-sekulow","tag-knights-of-columbus","tag-montana","tag-montana-heritage","tag-montana-history","tag-statue-of-jesus","tag-war-memorial","tag-world-war-ii-veterans"],"yoast_head":"\nJay Sekulow: Protect Montana War Memorial Under Attack by Atheist Group - Faith & Justice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/10\/jay-sekulow-protect-montana-war-memorial-under-attack-by-atheist-group.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jay Sekulow: Protect Montana War Memorial Under Attack by Atheist Group - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It is an organization that is dedicated to removing any vestige of our religious history and heritage in this country. I’m talking about the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) – an atheist, anti-Christian group – that we have battled over the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Day of Prayer, and even the National Motto. \u00a0…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/10\/jay-sekulow-protect-montana-war-memorial-under-attack-by-atheist-group.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-10-31T15:37:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-11-29T20:50:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/files\/2011\/10\/573406034-300x187.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jay Sekulow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jay Sekulow: Protect Montana War Memorial Under Attack by Atheist Group - Faith & Justice","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/10\/jay-sekulow-protect-montana-war-memorial-under-attack-by-atheist-group.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jay Sekulow: Protect Montana War Memorial Under Attack by Atheist Group - Faith & Justice","og_description":"It is an organization that is dedicated to removing any vestige of our religious history and heritage in this country. 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He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks. Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of \u201cThe 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years\u201d and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \u201c100 Most Influential Lawyers\u201d in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America. Jay Sekulow\u2019s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, \"Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda.\" Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea. Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor\u2019s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C. Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video. Jay Sekulow on Facebook. Jay Sekulow on Twitter. Jay Sekulow on YouTube.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/author\/jay_sekulow"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1453"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1753,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453\/revisions\/1753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}