Cross Displays in Military Under Attack

The aggressive tactics of atheist organizations move into high gear during the Christmas season.

As I told you earlier, we've sent a letter to the Marine Corps Commanding Officer at Camp Pendleton after an atheist group attacked a war memorial cross put in place by Marines to honor their colleagues who died fighting for our freedoms in Iraq. In our letter, posted here, we explain the law in detail and urge the Marines to stand firm and keep the cross in place. The memorial cross, we argue, is an "apt, appropriate, and constitutionally permissible means of honoring and commemorating the sacrifice of those who have given their life for their comrades and their country."

Currently, the Marine Corps is studying the issue and acknowledged to a reporter that the fate of the cross at Camp Pendleton is still unknown. "It cannot be determined at this time if the cross will be allowed to stay," Pendleton's Office of Public Affairs told a news organization. "Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is aware of the memorial cross emplacement and the activity is currently being reviewed by legal staff. Upon completion of the review, findings will be forwarded up the appropriate chain of command."

At the same time, the U.S. Army has taken down a cross displayed outside a chapel at a military base in Afghanistan - a cross that is a powerful symbol of sacrifice for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day on that battlefield. The news of the removal at the base in Afghanistan was greeted as a victory by the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) saying the removal marks an example of protecting "civil rights and neutrality towards religion."

We hear this all the time. These atheist groups go after symbols - in this case, a cross - symbols that have been part of the history and heritage of our great nation. Their twisted claim: these displays violate the Establishment Clause. Nonsense. That view of the Constitution is not only deeply flawed, it is offensive to Christians.

What I have said in the past bears repeating. The Constitution does not prohibit honoring fallen troops through the use of a historic symbol merely because that symbol also carries religious significance. In fact, the Constitution forbids excluding religion from every aspect of public life, precisely the goal of the MAAF and other atheist groups.

Stand with the American Center for Law and Justice now. Sign on to our Petition to Protect the Cross - We're calling on President Obama, Commander-in-Chief, as well as Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense, to do the right thing - stand firm and don't cave in to this strategy of intimidation.

Add your name now. Stand up to the bullying tactics used by atheist groups. Tell our military leaders to stand firm - keep the crosses in place.