"Miracle Debris" Cross to be erected at WTC

[Proud_Democratt]

Move to Include Christian “Miracle Debris” Cross at WTC Memorial Invites Litigation
American Atheists Press Release – May 16, 2006
A move to include a Christian “miracle debris” as part of a World Trade
Center memorial to the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks promotes religion and invites legal challenges, an Atheist First Amendment
watchdog group warned today.

On Friday, officials with the WTC Memorial Foundation said that artifact – two intersecting metal beams – “will be treated with utmost respect” and would be placed in the underground WTC museum set to open in 2009, or at an outdoor memorial on the property.

The 20-foot-high “miracle debris cross” was found by a construction
laborer who described its presence as an “act of God.” It quickly
became an object of religious veneration, religious services were held, and the metal structure was blessed with holy water. A priest labeled the cross, “our symbol of hope, our symbol of faith…”



http://www.atheists.org/nogodblog/index.php?s=cross&sentence=AND&submit=Search

[DS1]

1. Sounds to me, that by finding a cross in all that rubble

The "Christian" God got his ass handed to him

[donco6]

2. Gee, what were the chances of that?

I mean, the whole damn building was made from intersecting beams.

What tripe.

[unblock]

4. yeah. now a star of david, that might be something....

[donco6]

7. When your primary religious symbol is two intersecting lines . . .

. . . it's bound to come up.

But yeah, a Star of David - or the outline of the Ark - or a Hebrew letter Aleph, maybe. Yeah, that's be a miracle.

Actually, I think it would have been a miracle if the hijackers weren't able to take over the planes and everyone lived. But that's just me.

[nemo137]

13. Shh. Don't tell anyone, but it's so we can repel vampires.

We can't go searching for some complicated symbol of faith, so we decided on a cross. "Hey, nosferatu are after me! let me grab these two pointy sticks!"

I'm sorry, I recognize the importance of the Cross in Christian theology, but this whole "miracle cross" things is ridiculous.

[trotsky]

14. *applause*

Actually, I think it would have been a miracle if the hijackers weren't able to take over the planes and everyone lived. But that's just me.

Not just you, donco6. :applause:

[Proud_Democratt]

15. Ditto.......

:applause:

[BrklynLiberal]

11. That was EXACTLY my reaction when this first hit the news back then.

A Star of David, now THAT would have been a true miracle.

:thumbsup: :hi: :shrug: :rofl:

[beam me up scottie]

6. Exactly what I was thinking.

:evilgrin:

[Proud_Democratt]

3. More proof of how loosely the word "Miracle" is used.

[Warpy]

5. Yeah, that'll make all the families of the Jews, Muslims, Hindus

and other non Christians feel all warm and fuzzy when they go see where their families died.

I'm sure there were a lot more beams and floor joists that were twisted into crescents. How 'bout it, fellas?

[Proud_Democratt]

8. The arrogance never ceases to amaze me!

I guess only people of Christian faith died there.:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Proud_Democratt]

9. A Flying Spaghetti Monster would have been

extremely impressive.

[oneold1-4u]

10. I'm truly sorry

That they didn't see fit to clear the death and ruble and leave the multi-billion $ property a barren space for 50 years, and if anything then, only a free hospital, residence, and free kitchen for the millions more who will have nothing but the streets! This really would be memorable!

[charlie]

12. Yeah, me too

Instead, there's going to be a memorial with a projected cost of nearly $1 BILLION(!!) dollars. It seems that even from the spirit of public sorrow, there's rivers of financial gravy to be tapped.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

16. Death and destruction

are very profitable.

The cross is an artifact of the recovery and clean up. It has a place, but it should not be considered a religious symbol representative of the memorial. Just an artifact.

T-Grannie

[trotsky]

17. But the only reason that particular artifact was chosen,

is because of its shape, which is important only from a religious viewpoint. (And one particular religious viewpoint at that.)

[TallahasseeGrannie]

18. I understand that view

but if they left it out, they would leave out a very large "chapter" (if you will) of the recovery that framed the experience for the workers. Perhaps a disclaimer of some sort? There should be a compromise that could be reached.

[trotsky]

19. Were all the recovery workers Christians?

I didn't know that.

I'm sorry, but it's not a "compomise" for one group to get their big honking religious symbol displayed prominently on a monument for everyone, including many of other faiths, or no faith. Even if they are the majority.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

20. No, I don't mean it was a big part because of their faith

I mean it was a big deal. A lot of people came to see it, it got news coverage, it was part of the history. Didn't matter what their faith was, it happened. I don't think we can erase that it happened simply because it was a symbol of a faith. (and big honking is a great description, although I rather prefer huge mammy jammy)

Can you think of a way it could be portrayed as an artifact and not an item of faith?

T-Granni

[trotsky]

21. I really can't think of a way.

(That it could be portrayed as an artifact, stripped of its religious symbolism.)

The best solution would be for all to realize that the inclusion of anyone's religious symbols is inappropriate. Put a cross on your loved one's gravestone. Leave the public memorials inclusive to all.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

22. Maybe a church should display it

nearby,like St. Paul's Chapel there on the corner. And then the memorial would have photographs of it?

[Proud_Democratt]

23. Very good compromise!

[Random_Australian]

24. Excellent idea!