The 9/11 Cross

Shortly following the aftermath of 9/11, a construction worker found a perfectly formed cross in the rubble at ground zero. The cross consisted of two intersecting steel beams that were sheared off perfectly in the shape of the Christian symbol. This cross, serving as a beacon of hope for thousands of relief workers, remained prominently displayed while relief workers went through the rubble looking for victims and while families mourned the loss of their loved ones. The cross became a shrine. People prayed there and left messages and photos of their lost loved ones taped to it. The cross is now housed in the New York's National September 11th Memorial and Museum. Aside from the cross' religious affiliation, it is and will always be a part of the history of the 9/11 tragedy. It's place in the Memorial and Museum should not even be in question. However, an atheist group is suing to have it removed because they feel that the museum doesn't reflect other religious or non-religious beliefs and that having the cross displayed somehow gives Christian's precedence and demeans the people who died in the tragedy that do not share the Christian faith. Give me a break!

First of all, this cross' place in the history of the 9/11 story is without question. If, for instance, an atheist symbol was found in the rubble and was displayed as a beacon of hope (Hope in what?) for all atheists, would we be having this same conversation? The fact remains that this cross was found, it did give thousands of bible believing Christians and non-Christians hope while trying to find peace in such a disturbing tragedy, and it's place in the memorial should be secured. The atheist rhetoric is getting old fast. Despite an atheists non-religious belief system, they can't remove or whitewash Christianity's part in the story. You can't remove the cross' story from the history of the 9/11 tragedy, just like you can't remove the bedrock of Christianity that is so engrained in the history of the United States of America. I'm sickened by the hatred and blatant disregard that atheists have for the faith that formed this wonderful country that we live in. They claim the tired argument of "seperation of church and state" but they get it all wrong in the process. The phrase "seperation of church and state" is never mentioned in the constitution and is actually from a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists that reads ""...I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." Adopted later, the First Amendment does state that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This does not mean that government should not take part in or endorse religion. It means that the government will not stop anyone from freely practicing any religion they so choose, hence their reason for relocating from Brittan in the first place. But, yet, isn't this exactly what the atheists are doing? They are preventing Christians from freely exercising their faith by asking that they remove prayer from school, the 10 commandments from government facilities, or the 9/11 cross from the 9/11 Memorial. This is hypocritical and completely biased. Atheists often preach tolerance, but are being intolerant in the process. If you want to be an atheist, wonderful. I certainly won't stop you, if that is the decision you've made. But, don't impede my, or anyone else's, American right to freely exercise my faith in Jesus Christ! The 9/11 cross should stay exactly where it is!!!