Honoring Constitution Is Now a Terrorist Attack

Via Dakota O’Leary, a lovely little Wall of Separation story:

The mayor of Whiteville, Tenn. said his community is under attack from a national atheist organization that is threatening to sue unless they remove a cross atop the town’s water tower.

“They are terrorists as far as I’m concerned,” said Mayor James Bellar about the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “They are alleging that some Whiteville resident feels very, very intimidated by this cross.”

The mayor told Fox News Radio that the cross was erected on the town’s water tower about eight years ago by a private group of citizens. They collected private donations to cover the costs.

It’s just a cross on the water tower,” he said. “All we’re doing is exercising our right to practice our beliefs down here but this organization is now going to stymie that. We’re not out here knocking on doors trying to convert people.”

No, it’s just a cross on government property with no purpose but religious observance. For comparison, even the Mojave Cross was a memorial on land being transferred out of government hands so it could remain in its original form.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is on the case here, though. (Donated to them lately?) The city, which has known about this request for about a year, has until Halloween to remove the cross or be sued.

Which do you think it will be? Will the mayor cost his town a bunch of money that no one can afford right now? Or is he just whipping up sentiment against atheists so he doesn’t lose votes when he does what was his patriotic duty in the first place?

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Honoring Constitution Is Now a Terrorist Attack
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6 thoughts on “Honoring Constitution Is Now a Terrorist Attack

  1. 1

    All we’re doing is exercising our right to practice our beliefs down here but this organization is now going to stymie that. We’re not out here knocking on doors trying to convert people.

    *Obligatory ‘what if it was different religion x’ comment here*

    Mayor Bellar would be better served simply taking the cross down. It’s a public reminder of the dominant religion in the region not some historic landmark or work of art. Of course that’s probably why they want it there…

  2. 2

    Surely the cross is essential to the structural integrity of the water tower and any removal would flood the town, a clear act of terrorism!

    Its not like a public official would put religion before his constituents

    Bwahahaha sorry, couldn’t keep a straight face any longer

  3. 5

    I think the mayor has unintentionally created a public forum on the top of the water tower. If city hall allows a group to place a creche on municipal property, they are then legally obligated to allow any group to place a display there.

    So, how about a crescent moon on the tower. Or a pentagram. Or that new atheist symbol on PZ’s site.

    If other groups showed up and demanded space on the water tower, I think that the mayor might have to consider the danger of collapse so many displays might pose, and ban all displays in the interest of public safety.

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