NY judge tosses lawsuit over Sept. 11 steel cross

[DonViejo]

Source: AP

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge has tossed out a lawsuit seeking to stop the display of a cross-shaped steel beam found among the World Trade Center’s wreckage.

Federal judge Deborah Batts on Friday rejected the arguments of a national atheists’ group. American Atheists had sued the National September 11 Memorial & Museum’s operators in 2011 on constitutional grounds.

The judge says the decision to include the artifact in the Sept. 11 museum did not advance religion impermissibly. She also says it does not create excessive entanglement between the state and religion. And she noted that the cross helps tell part of the history of Sept. 11.

Attorney Mark Alcott says the museum is pleased with the result. A lawyer for the atheists group didn’t immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/03/29/ny_judge_tosses_lawsuit_over_sept_11_steel_cross/

[Politicalboi]

1. I'm an Atheist

And this was ridiculous. I would sue to find out what was on the steel beams that were somehow cut at an angle, but that's me. The cross was just something that happened, and wasn't erected for any religious reason. I bet there aren't any plane seats in any display either. Not ONE in ANY debris pictures. But that's me.

[Orrex]

2. Chuck Norris says this line of reasoning is bound for the dungeon

Bound, like your legs won't be when you wear Chuck Norris Action Jeans!

[PatrynXX]

3. two sorts of Atheists.

there's the in your face shove ones beliefs down everyones throats then the ones we can be agreeable on . I'd prefer to see more of you...

Personally though tired of the state crossing the separation line. They do this by banning religion out of schools. Any religion. Each public school should have a hall of fairly recognizable religions with the parody ones near the top. hence the Coexist bumper sticker.

[defacto7]

4. To me it's bizarre

to waste energy on such a lawsuit. As a non-theist I think whatever symbol a person wants to use to represent the tragedy is just fine. To me it means little but if there were steel beams in the shape of an "A" I would be more connected to that symbolism. If it's the bible posted in a public school or creationism as science, that is a whole different thing to me.

The Atheist community needs to pick it's arguments for more realistic outcomes, not this.

[cthulu2016]

5. This atheist agrees with the ruling

[struggle4progress]

6. Well, that was predictable:

de minimis non curat lex

[PolitFreak]

7. Sorry

I inadvertantly duplicated this thread in LBN.

[SpartanDem]

8. Are they sue gonna everytime something happens look like a cross?

If NYC had put up an actual cross that would be a legit fight. But some steel beams that happened to end up in the shape of cross, that for some reason people think has religious symbolism is not a state endorsement of religion.