{"id":3149,"date":"2012-08-28T16:55:29","date_gmt":"2012-08-28T20:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=3149"},"modified":"2012-08-28T16:55:29","modified_gmt":"2012-08-28T20:55:29","slug":"jay-sekulow-defending-jesus-statue-from-atheist-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2012\/08\/jay-sekulow-defending-jesus-statue-from-atheist-lawsuit.html","title":{"rendered":"Jay Sekulow: Defending Jesus Statue from Atheist Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It’s a troubling pattern that we see often.<\/p>\n

An atheist group is “offended” by a statue or memorial that they consider to be offensive. They file a federal lawsuit to try to get it removed.<\/p>\n

This time, it’s happened in Montana – a case we have been involved in for more than a year. As you’ll recall, a statue of Jesus was put in place on Big Mountain at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana 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.<\/p>\n

We have been aggressively working to defend this memorial for more than a year, including sending a letter<\/a> to the National Forest Service on behalf of more than 70,000 Americans urging the Forest Service to renew the lease. Following a decision<\/a> by the Forest Service to keep the statue in place,\u00a0the FFRF filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year in an effort to have the memorial removed.<\/p>\n

Today, we filed a very important amicus brief<\/a> urging a federal court to reject that lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).<\/p>\n

In our brief filed today, the ACLJ supports the Intervenor-Defendants\u2019 Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Standing, and agrees with the Knights of Columbus that Freedom from Religion Foundation\u2019s (FFRF) \u201cfailure to name specific members who have been \u2018offended\u2019 by the Whitefish Mountain Resort statue is fatal to their case.\u201d\u00a0 The brief is clear: the FFRF \u201clacks standing because the injury it alleges is nothing more than hurt feelings which is not cognizable under the Supreme Court\u2019s Article III standing jurisprudence.\u201d<\/p>\n

We also note in our brief that FFRF\u2019s objections to the memorial amount to nothing more than \u201coffended observer standing\u201d \u2013 which has been rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

The ACLJ represents itself and 18 members of Congress including Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg and the following: Dan Burton (IN), Michael Conaway (TX), Chip Cravaak (MN), J. Randy Forbes (VA), Virginia Foxx (NC), Vicky Hartzler (MO), Bill Johnson (OH), Walter Jones (NC), John Kline (MN), James Lankford (OK), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Jeff Miller (FL), Sue Myrick (NC), Alan Nunnelee (MS), Dennis Ross (FL), Steve Scalise (LA), and Lynn Westmoreland (GA).<\/p>\n

At the same time, the ACLJ represents more than 96,000 Americans who signed on to the ACLJ\u2019s Committee to Defend the Jesus Statue War Memorial \u2013 Americans who support veterans\u2019 memorials and who oppose efforts to strip from public property recognitions of history and heritage that contain religious symbolism.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re extremely pleased that we\u2019re joined by members of Congress and nearly 100,000 Americans who understand that this war memorial represents the history and heritage of the region. It\u2019s a constitutional display that does not reflect a government endorsement of religion.<\/p>\n

And, we\u2019re hopeful the court will conclude what we are arguing \u2013 the atheist group lacks standing and the lawsuit should be dismissed.<\/p>\n

Jay Sekulow<\/a><\/p>\n

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

It’s a troubling pattern that we see often. An atheist group is “offended” by a statue or memorial that they consider to be offensive. They file a federal lawsuit to try to get it removed. This time, it’s happened in Montana – a case we have been involved in for more than a year. As…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[426,427],"tags":[88,708,571,18,795,796],"class_list":["post-3149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-montana","category-war-memorial","tag-amicus-brief","tag-atheist","tag-jesus-statue","tag-lawsuit","tag-montana","tag-war-memorial"],"yoast_head":"\nJay Sekulow: Defending Jesus Statue from Atheist Lawsuit - 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\/2012\/08\/jay-sekulow-defending-jesus-statue-from-atheist-lawsuit.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jay Sekulow: Defending Jesus Statue from Atheist Lawsuit - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It’s a troubling pattern that we see often. 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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\/3149","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=3149"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3153,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3149\/revisions\/3153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}