File under: People with too much free time

[Bateluer]

http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=12970567

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago-area atheist is making good on his pledge to sue administrators of a towering southern Illinois cross about $20,000 the landmark received from the state.

Rob Sherman filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court in Springfield after officials behind the Bald Knob Cross of Peace rebuffed his insistence to return the money.

Sherman had objected to the grant as a bit of unconstitutional pork, and in May he threatened to sue if the money wasn't given back.

The cross' caretakers have argued that the 11-story landmark is a tourist attraction, not specifically a religious icon. They note the $20,000 already in question has been spent on ongoing efforts to restore the landmark near Alto Pass, about 130 miles southeast of St. Louis.

Okay, yeah, it was purchased with state funds. The article doesn't explicitly say, but it was probably stimulus money. And honestly, there's hundreds of much worse pork that was bought and is being bought with stimulus, but this guy really just seems like he has too much free time and not enough productive outlets.

 

[Craig234]

Ya, preventing the erosion of our government being prohibited from 'establishing a religion', giving preference to the majority's religion over others, useless.

 

[jackschmittusa]

The cross is a Christian symbol, period! No government money should have gone to it.

Your comment about worse things is meaningless at best as an argument, questionable because of the Constitutional issues involved.

 

[sao123]

This whole removal of all religious traces from all forms of govt is nothing more than aethist activism. in this country we have freedom OF religion... not freedom FROM religion.

Govt can support religious institutions as long as it is not biased upon sect or denomination. This is NOT establishing a state sponsered religion.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

This whole removal of all religious traces from all forms of govt is nothing more than aethist activism. in this country we have freedom OF religion... not freedom FROM religion.

Govt can support religious institutions as long as it is not biased upon sect or denomination. This is NOT establishing a state sponsered religion.

oh no you didn't! How dare you bring FACTS to this anti-Christianity thread.

 

[IronWing]

oh no you didn't! How dare you bring FACTS to this anti-Christianity thread.

It's not an anti-Christianity thread, yet. Quit trying to play victim. The government was caught red handed spending money inappropriately on promoting religion. Government should follow the Constitution, the money should be sent back, end of story.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

It's not an anti-Christianity thread, yet. Quit trying to play victim. The government was caught red handed spending money inappropriately on promoting religion. Government should follow the Constitution, the money should be sent back, end of story.

lol, "yet". I've been around here for quite a while, it's not hard to spot the threads like this and where they will go(and intend to go).

And also, you need to bone up on the Consitution - it does not say the gov't can't spend money on religion. OF, not FROM. Sheesh.
Now if you want a better argument - the scope of the spending is outside of the FEDERAL gov'ts spending and thus shouldn't have been spent. It has nothing to do with the Establishment clause.

 

[Mursilis]

It's not an anti-Christianity thread, yet. Quit trying to play victim. The government was caught red handed spending money inappropriately on promoting religion. Government should follow the Constitution, the money should be sent back, end of story.

It's not so simple; the tourist attraction argument may have merit. Do only Catholics visit the Sistine Chapel in Rome?

If atheists want to get all hot and bothered about excessive entanglement of gov't and religion, they ought to ask why both the House and the Senate have official chaplain positions. I think those are paid positions as well, although I'm not sure.

 

[LumbergTech]

This whole removal of all religious traces from all forms of govt is nothing more than aethist activism. in this country we have freedom OF religion... not freedom FROM religion.

Govt can support religious institutions as long as it is not biased upon sect or denomination. This is NOT establishing a state sponsered religion.

That isn't the point of this at all. It is not legitimate use of the money. Call a spade a spade.

 

[LumbergTech]

It's not so simple; the tourist attraction argument may have merit. Do only Catholics visit the Sistine Chapel in Rome?

If atheists want to get all hot and bothered about excessive entanglement of gov't and religion, they ought to ask why both the House and the Senate have official chaplain positions. I think those are paid positions as well, although I'm not sure.

I find that to be a more legitimate use of money than a $20000 symbol. How the hell could this even be worth 20k?

 

[TheFamilyMan]

lol, "yet". I've been around here for quite a while, it's not hard to spot the threads like this and where they will go(and intend to go).

Yeah, isn't it awesome how the mods allow the bashing of Christianity in every form? Hell, I've even seen some mods join in!

ATOT should clean house...every thread that bashes *ANY* religion should be deleted and any poster that ridicules, harrasses, attacks, et al a poster regarding religion should be given a vacation.

ATOT protects a very certain few "topics" that are near-and-dear to mod's hearts...all others are left to be bashed and beaten to death.

 

[IronWing]

The very thought that we might possibly become victims in the future makes us victims now.

 

[Mursilis]

I find that to be a more legitimate use of money than a $20000 symbol. How the hell could this even be worth 20k?

When it comes to federal spending, frivolity should not surprise you. At least it's cheaper than bridges to nowhere or mohair subsidies.

 

[LumbergTech]

Yeah, isn't it awesome how the mods allow the bashing of Christianity in every form? Hell, I've even seen some mods join in!

ATOT should clean house...every thread that bashes *ANY* religion should be deleted and any poster that ridicules, harrasses, attacks, et al a poster regarding religion should be given a vacation.

ATOT protects a very certain few "topics" that are near-and-dear to mod's hearts...all others are left to be bashed and beaten to death.

you really are delusional

people can freely discuss what they want..

people shouldnt be allowed to criticize religion? give me a break

 

[LumbergTech]

When it comes to federal spending, frivolity should not surprise you. At least it's cheaper than bridges to nowhere or mohair subsidies.

Yea, I wasn't saying it was the worst BS expenditure, I'm just saying that it is wrong.

 

[Genx87]

Ya, preventing the erosion of our government being prohibited from 'establishing a religion', giving preference to the majority's religion over others, useless.

Which religion does this establish?

 

[sao123]

That isn't the point of this at all. It is not legitimate use of the money. Call a spade a spade.

Apparently you dont understand how government spending works.
Every year a budget is prepared and money is allocated down to single line items of exactly how it can be spent. Money allocated for a certain type of project must be spent on that type of project.

So... if this money came from a historical restoration project funded line item, the money was legitimately spent. If it had been spent on a bridge, it would then be improperly spent.

you issue needs to be taken up with congress during the annual budget...
good luck with that.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Which religion does this establish?

The cross is the symbol of so many religions, such as Christianity and...

um...

well...

I'm sure there must be others, right?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

n/m - it's not worth it

 

[hal2kilo]

It's not an anti-Christianity thread, yet. Quit trying to play victim. The government was caught red handed spending money inappropriately on promoting religion. Government should follow the Constitution, the money should be sent back, end of story.

See bolded.

 

[jackschmittusa]

How is discussing the appropriateness of government expenditures "Christian bashing"? If I say "The government shouldn't fund a turd display.", is that "turd bashing"?

 

[sao123]

How is discussing the appropriateness of government expenditures "Christian bashing"? If I say "The government shouldn't fund a turd display.", is that "turd bashing"?

That isn't the point of this at all. It is not legitimate use of the money. Call a spade a spade.

So if the money was instead used to restore/renovate a different landmark like "Falling Water" instead of "the cross"... would it be a legitimite use of the 20K?

Most people (including the suit filer) are only against this because it was spent on a religious symbol, instead of a secular one. that IS religion bashing.

if you believe it should have instead been spent repaving a bridge, or for equipment for our soldiers overseas... then you need to take that up with congress about their budget appropriations.

 

[Slew Foot]

OMG The president swears his oath on the BIBLE!!!! SAVE ME Frum de ebil Christianzzzzzzzzz!!

 

[werepossum]

How is discussing the appropriateness of government expenditures "Christian bashing"? If I say "The government shouldn't fund a turd display.", is that "turd bashing"?

Odd that you should say that since progressives squealed like gutshot pigs when Juiliani threatened to NOT subsidize "art" including a crucifix in a jar of urine and a parody of the Madonna done in elephant dung. And the federal government is sending the Cordoba imam on a taxpayer-funded trip to talk up "tolerance" in America (i.e. how best to achieve Sharia in America.) In the progressive mind (such as it is) anything that hurts Christianity is not only constitutional but MUST be funded by government, else it's censorship, whereas anything that could be seen as promoting Christianity is unconstitutional by government, on public land, often even just within sight of public land.

 

[werepossum]

Hmm, I must have double-clicked. Forums are really not working well for me today, often several minutes to get a preview and numerous crashes, then I double-post. Oh well.