Atheism Gone Mad!

Take a look at this picture:

Eleven years ago today, on September 11, 2001, these two beams from the World Trade Centre fell to earth. Somehow, I guess as a result of the heat from the fires that were raging inside the buildings, the beams had fused together in the shape of a cross, and they landed upright, becoming a symbol of the event to many people. Afterward, it seems that the beams were acquired by a local church, polished and buffed up and had the word "Jesus" inscribed. It was kept in the church for five years. It was then donated to the non-profit group that was set up to establish the WTC memorial to be displayed at the memorial, because to many it became an iconic image of that day.

Now, there's a lawsuit. A group called "American Atheists" is suing to prevent the displays of the beams/cross because they claim that it's an attempt to Christianize 9/11, to make it all about Christians when many of the victims of the attacks weren't Christians at all. They also claim that it's a violation of the constitutional provisions against the establishment of religion.

David Silverman is AA's president. He said that the beams are, "a working Christian shrine in the memorial and then they had the gall to say it's not religious in nature, that it represents everybody. That's not true. It does not represent Jews, Muslims, Mormons or atheists, and they all had deaths on 9/11." He went on to say that "We're talking about public lands, we're talking about public funds, we're talking about congressionally ordered public funds. We're talking about an 18-foot memorial, this is grossly inappropriate. We feel very strongly that this is an attempt to Christianize 9/11, to make it about Christians, even though it's not about Christians at all." In response, the Memorial and Museum has said that they're simply displaying the beams as a relic of the 9/11 attack and that simply because it has a religious significance to some people doesn't mean that it's being displayed as a religious artifact.

Here's my general response: this is atheism gone mad!

I'm not really big on the intertwining of the relationship between church and state. In fact, I think it's harmful to Christianity because it makes us increasingly dependent on the state and it causes us to lose our focus on the gospel. I don't care about things like prayer in schools or things like that. When the church comes to the conclusion that it needs the active support of the state to promote its own faith, then the church is acknowledging its weakness and its inability to do just that. But does that mean that something that's of historic significance should be ignored simply because it looks like a cross and was used by some as a religious symbol? That's ridiculous! It is, indeed, atheism gone mad!

I'm not an American. But the most complete list I've come across says that the victims of 9/11 were from 59 different nations - including 24 from Canada. So it seems to me that the discussion of what is and isn't important in a 9/11 memorial should be open to the world. I say that the "cross-beams" should stay.  I see no reason for them to go. Mr. Silverman says that the crossbeams don't "represent Jews, Muslims, Mormons or atheists, and they all had deaths on 9/11." I wonder if he's speaking on behalf of any of the Jewish, Muslim, Mormon or atheist families? In the reports about this lawsuit that I've read I've seen nothing from any of the victims' families of any religion (or no religion) who have objected to this. Just a group that really seems to be using this primarily to get some publicity for their cause. At least that's my take on it anyway, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It looks like a cross. It's been in a church. But it's more than a cross, as well. It's an icon of a terrible day; a symbol of hope to a lot of people as they remember a horrible event. It should stay - and "American Atheists" really need to butt out on this one.

Just my opinion.