Saturday, July 30, 2011
And on the aggressive atheism front
A group calling themselves American Atheists has filed a lawsuit trying to prevent the return of the steel beam cross that was found standing in the rubble of 9/11 to the new World Trade Center Memorial. They argue that the government is partially funding the project and the Cross is a religious symbol. The new memorial is set to open on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 (sans banos btw but that's a whole side issue). Mayor Bloomberg who always can be counted on to say the safe and nondisputable thing said on his weekly radio show on WOR that they have the right to sue. My take, by its very nature mourning is for so many people such an intensely spiritual and religious experience and this country has such strong religious underpinnings that goes all the way back to its Founding that only a bunch of Grinches with too much time on their hands and nothing better to do could do such a thing.
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I don't know. They probably have the right to sue, but the cross is what we as devotees would call self-manifested, ie, no one MADE it into a cross, it just happens to be one and so it only has whatever meaning you'd like to put into it, because it's not like someone said, oh, here's this piece of steel, let's make it into a Christian cross.
ReplyDeleteBasically I think you're right, they have a little too much time on their hands and maybe some misdirected anger. Whether they get anywhere legally remains to be seen but certainly either way win or lose they've chosen what will be a seriously unpopular cause to wave flags for with this one.
Not everyone that died in the 3 WTC buildings was a christian. All the symbolism does is play directly into this holy/culture war nonsense.
ReplyDeleteWhy should a religious symbol offend anyone? Really, can't people use their time and efforts doing more important things?
ReplyDeleteRight...we should go back to discussing the Ground Zero "mosque".
ReplyDeleteSat makes a good point, the steel Cross was found that way. I would add only an atheist would be so jaded not to be stunned by this.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't particularly stunned by it. These things happen, coincidences that can be imbued with a lot of meaning. I thought it was nice that some of the steel was melted down and used in a Navy ship, it's called the New York if I'm not mistaken.
ReplyDeleteAnd really soap makes a good point here, or really a couple of them. Not everyone who died that day was a Christian and people pitched a godalmighty fit over a mosque that was going to be blocks away from the site. If you're going to have a religious thing then it has to be TOTALLY ecumenical and include ALL faiths, and that means Muslims and Wiccans and Buddhists and Shintoists and Zoroastrians and Hare Krishnas too. Really should be representative of every single person's faith who died that day, and Muslims did also die that day.
And as far as Beth's comment: if the steel resembled a star and crescent you can be sure that people would be freaking out over putting THAT 'religious symbol' in place. It's a funny thing in America that very often it occurs that when the religious freedom or expression of non-Christian religions is protected, Christians will claim that THEIR faith is being persecuted or repressed. Seriously. So I really think it needs to be looked at objectively here.
I think the atheists are over the top here. Religious elements are always a part of History so you could make that argument. Can the Bible be read and taught in public school as part of a Literature class? In my book yes if it's put in that context.
ReplyDeleteSure it could. So could the Quran, except if you tried to do that you'd have people protesting outside the school that you're indoctrinating people with anti-American terrorist thought.
ReplyDeleteThe Quran has actually been removed from some literature classes for this very reason. It happened here.
Again, it goes back to that 'if it's not Christian..' thing. There's no such thing as 'freedom of religion' in these people's minds. You see again and again that any attempt to protect or establish freedom for a non-Christian group is touted as 'repressing Christianity'. In Kentucky and Tennessee they've actually refused to let some mosques be built at all. Could you see that happening with a Christian church?
I'm not against the Koran being taught in public school as part of a Literature or History class just for the record:)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately plenty of people don't share your outlook.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Quran was dropped from classes the Bible I believe was also dropped and that sparked a whole other protest.. because people wanted the Bible but not the Quran. And that's the point at which it becomes toxic. You either have both or none in my opinion.
Actually we agree!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSomebody musta put something hallucinogenic in the water.
ReplyDelete