{"id":723,"date":"2011-07-27T11:13:03","date_gmt":"2011-07-27T15:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=723"},"modified":"2011-08-01T11:30:36","modified_gmt":"2011-08-01T15:30:36","slug":"world-trade-center-cross-faces-legal-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/07\/world-trade-center-cross-faces-legal-attack.html","title":{"rendered":"World Trade Center Cross Faces Legal Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Here we go again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An atheist organization files a\u00a0lawsuit. They are offended. This time the target: a Cross placed at the World Trace Center Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero<\/a>. It is unbelievable that these lawsuits keep coming. As you may recall, lawsuits by atheist organizations have failed repeatedly – in challenging the National Motto, Pledge of Allegiance, as well as the National Day of Prayer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This suit, too, is likely to fail in court. But like all litigation, it must be taken seriously at this point.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That’s why I have instructed a legal team to begin preparing a critical amicus brief to be filed in support of the Cross memorial. We will represent former NYC firefighter and first responder Tim Brown, who lost more than 100 friends that fateful day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Our friend-of-the-court brief will clearly show that this suit is deeply flawed and without merit. It will also show that this memorial is not only a critical part of 9-11 history, but a constitutionally-sound reminder of the horrors that occurred at Ground Zero nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

American Atheists, the group which filed the suit, released this statement about the legal challenge: “The WTC cross has become a Christian icon. It has been blessed by so-called holy men and presented as a reminder that their god, who couldn’t be bothered to stop the Muslim terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name, cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross. It’s a truly ridiculous assertion.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This mindset and lawsuit represent another pathetic attempt to re-write the Constitution and re-write history by removing a symbol that has deep meaning and serves as a powerful remembrance to that fateful attack on September 11, 2001.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And, of course, in the lawsuit, the atheist group claims injury – specifically claiming that their plaintiffs “continue to suffer damages, both physical and emotional, from the existence of the challenged cross.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They are injured from the mere existence<\/em> of the cross? We’re talking about two intersecting steel beams that held up when the Twin Towers collapsed. Yes, it is cross-shaped. But, suffering physical and emotional damage because of the existence of the cross? Give me a break. This claim is ridiculous. If someone doesn’t like it, look the other way. Skip that part of the exhibit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The courts routinely reject this kind of reasoning. Consider the decision in April by a federal appeals court which rejected a challenge by another atheist group<\/a> and upheld the constitutionality of the presidential proclamation for the National Day of Prayer. In that decision, the court correctly concluded: “Hurt feelings differ from legal injury.” And last fall, a federal appeals court rejected another legal challenge by an atheist group attempting to remove the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Motto inscribed at the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington.<\/a> In our amicus brief in the case, we argued that the lawsuit “borders on frivolous” and serves no purpose other “than to waste judicial resources.” The appeals court dismissed the suit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now, at Ground Zero, at a memorial to mark this tragic and historic chapter in U.S. history, another legal challenge. And, what’s clear to me is that this suit represents the latest chapter of an anti-God strategy employed by atheist organizations across the country – a strategy offensive to millions of Americans, a strategy that we’re confident ultimately will fail in court.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The ACLJ will aggressively defend this Cross memorial at Ground Zero. As we prepare our amicus brief, we will not only represent 9-11 firefighter and first responder Tim Brown, but we will represent a committee of concerned Americans who understand that this kind of litigation is another attack on our history, our heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here we go again.   An atheist organization files a\u00a0lawsuit. They are offended. This time the target: a Cross placed at the World Trace Center Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero. It is unbelievable that these lawsuits keep coming. As you may recall, lawsuits by atheist organizations have failed repeatedly – in challenging the National…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,40,244],"tags":[248,184,743,169,88,245,155,754,746,247,756,747,765,249,246],"class_list":["post-723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-11","category-ground-zero","category-world-trade-center","tag-9-11-history","tag-9-11-responder-tim-brown","tag-aclj","tag-american-atheists","tag-amicus-brief","tag-cross-memorial","tag-federal-lawsuit","tag-ground-zero","tag-national-day-of-prayer","tag-national-motto","tag-new-york-city","tag-pledge-of-allegiance","tag-u-s-constitution","tag-world-trade-center-memorial-and-museum","tag-wtc-cross"],"yoast_head":"\nWorld Trade Center Cross Faces Legal Attack - 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\/07\/world-trade-center-cross-faces-legal-attack.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"World Trade Center Cross Faces Legal Attack - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here we go again.   An atheist organization files a\u00a0lawsuit. 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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\/723","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=723"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":774,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions\/774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}