{"id":1772,"date":"2011-12-02T10:44:36","date_gmt":"2011-12-02T15:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=1772"},"modified":"2011-12-02T10:44:36","modified_gmt":"2011-12-02T15:44:36","slug":"jay-sekulow-70000-urge-feds-to-keep-montana-jesus-statue-in-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/12\/jay-sekulow-70000-urge-feds-to-keep-montana-jesus-statue-in-place.html","title":{"rendered":"Jay Sekulow: 70,000 Urge Feds to Keep Montana Jesus Statue in Place"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The response has been overwhelming. More than 70,000 concerned individuals are standing with us – in a letter urging the National Forest Service to renew a long-standing lease that would permit a World War II memorial – a statue of Jesus – to remain in place.
\n\u00a0
\nWe have sent a letter<\/a>\u00a0– along with the 70,000 names – to the federal government detailing why this display, which has been atop Big Mountain at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana for nearly 60 years, is constitutionally permissible.
\n\u00a0
\nIn our letter, we cite numerous Supreme Court and appeals court decisions that underscore the legal argument that the Montana display is constitutional. We argue that removal of the statue could actually convey disrespect for the brave soldiers it was meant to honor and send a signal that the government is not neutral, but actually hostile on matters of religion – something the Constitution specifically prohibits.
\n\u00a0
\n“The statue’s history and purpose, its longevity, and its setting all support the conclusion that no reasonable observer could think that renewing the Knights of Columbus’ special use permit would be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion,” the letter contends.
\n\u00a0
\nHere’s the background. The statue of Jesus was put in place on Big Mountain in the 1950’s by WW II veterans who were also members of the Knights of Columbus. The veterans were inspired by monuments they saw in the mountains of Europe during the war. The statue of Jesus, they said, was put in place to commemorate the service of local WW II veterans – a war memorial.
\n\u00a0
\nNow, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) – an atheist group that has challenged the National Motto, the National Day of Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance – is challenging the display. The group called the Montana memorial “a ruse and a sham” and is urging the National Forest Service to end a long-standing lease – a move that would force the display to be removed. The government initially agreed with FFRF to end the lease. But a massive public outcry ensued, and the government put that decision on hold – reopening the issue to public comment.<\/p>\n

We immediately focused on this issue<\/a> and in less than a month more than 70,000 people signed on. A big thank-you to all who participated. What’s clear is that this display is part of the history and heritage of that region for nearly six decades.
\n\u00a0
\nOur letter, posted here<\/a>,\u00a0also notes that the Montana Historical Society recognizes that the statue “has long been a part of the historic identity of the area” and remains “a local land mark” making it “a historic part of the resort.”
\n\u00a0
\nFor the federal government to succumb to the intimidation tactics of an organization with a flawed view of the Constitution is not only disturbing, but inappropriate as well. The law is clear: this statue does not create a constitutional crisis. The statue’s setting does not convey any government religious endorsement of religion. It is a historically important memorial designed to commemorate the sacrifice made by those killed in World War II.
\n\u00a0
\nWe are hopeful that the Forest Service renews the lease without delay and permits this long-standing display to remain in place.
\n\u00a0
\nThis atheist attack in Montana comes as we continue to counter intimidation tactics being used by atheist groups in an attempt to pressure the Marine Corps to take down a cross memorial at Camp Pendleton and the U.S. Army’s decision to remove a cross displayed outside a chapel at a military base in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

Thousands already have signed on to our letter to the Department of Defense. If you haven’t done so already, add your name now<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

The response has been overwhelming. More than 70,000 concerned individuals are standing with us – in a letter urging the National Forest Service to renew a long-standing lease that would permit a World War II memorial – a statue of Jesus – to remain in place. \u00a0 We have sent a letter\u00a0– along with the…<\/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":[743,428,257,791,795,493,429,796,431],"class_list":["post-1772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-montana","category-u-s-constitution","category-war-memorial","tag-aclj","tag-big-mountain","tag-freedom-from-religion-foundation","tag-jay-sekulow","tag-montana","tag-national-forest-service","tag-statue-of-jesus","tag-war-memorial","tag-world-war-ii-veterans"],"yoast_head":"\nJay Sekulow: 70,000 Urge Feds to Keep Montana Jesus Statue in Place - 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\/12\/jay-sekulow-70000-urge-feds-to-keep-montana-jesus-statue-in-place.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jay Sekulow: 70,000 Urge Feds to Keep Montana Jesus Statue in Place - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The response has been overwhelming. More than 70,000 concerned individuals are standing with us – in a letter urging the National Forest Service to renew a long-standing lease that would permit a World War II memorial – a statue of Jesus – to remain in place. \u00a0 We have sent a letter\u00a0– along with the…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/12\/jay-sekulow-70000-urge-feds-to-keep-montana-jesus-statue-in-place.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-12-02T15:44:36+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: 70,000 Urge Feds to Keep Montana Jesus Statue in Place - 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\/12\/jay-sekulow-70000-urge-feds-to-keep-montana-jesus-statue-in-place.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jay Sekulow: 70,000 Urge Feds to Keep Montana Jesus Statue in Place - Faith & Justice","og_description":"The response has been overwhelming. 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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\/1772","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=1772"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1780,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1772\/revisions\/1780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}