A large white cross will remain in a U.S. city’s park after councilors rejected claims from secularists that it is illegal.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) claimed the cross—which has been in place since 1930—excludes non-Christians.
But the Neosho City Council in Missouri voted unanimously to keep the cross at the Big Spring Park and said the law actually supports its position.
“Exclusionary”
The decision was applauded on social media, with over 2,000 likes on Facebook for the Council’s press release and users praising the decision.
FFRF had written to the Mayor of Neosho claiming the cross “has an exclusionary effect, making non-Christian and non-believing residents of Neosho political outsiders.”
It also stated that the presence of the cross violated the US constitution and fell foul of various court decisions.
“We ask you to remove the cross from Big Spring Park immediately or direct the display be moved to a more appropriate private location,” it added.
No Removal
The Neosho City Council considered the letter but decided that the FFRF’s legal reasoning was flawed.
“It is the position of the City Council,” it said, that “controlling case law would support the continued presence of the cross within the park.”
Noting that the cross had been located in the Big Spring Park for decades, it said “the unanimous opinion of the City Council” was to “not remove the cross or take any other actions which in any way compromises the longstanding history of our city.”
“In God We Trust”
In December last year, a U.S school district banned all public prayers during official school events, following a complaint from the FFRF.
The group claimed it was “unconstitutional” for schools in Jennings County, Indiana, to “schedule, approve or otherwise endorse prayers or other religious messages.”
However, in 2013, the FFRF was defeated in its case to remove the phrase “In God We Trust” from U.S. currency.
New York District Court Judge Harold Baer dismissed the case, which saw FFRF co-president Dan Barker claim the motto had no place in government. {eoa}
See an error in this article?
To contact us or to submit an article
