Here We Go Again! Another Assault on Religion

PLEASE SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM!!!!

Once again, the Socialist war against religion or if you prefer tradition rears its ugly head as those who want to destroy America by attacking our beliefs and more importantly destroying and misinterpreting the Constitution. 

Cross at Indiana State Park Prompts Atheist Protest

A 14-inch white cross on state park property has thrust the east-Central Indiana town of Liberty into a national debate over religious icons on public lands.

And a national atheist group has jumped into the fray.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation last month sent a letter to Department of Natural Resources Director Cameron Clark telling him that a cross attached to a new war veterans memorial statute has no place at Whitewater Memorial State Park. {The park was purchased by the surrounding counties of Union, Fayette, Franklin and Wayne as a memorial to the men and women who served in World War II. Now, the question that needs to be asked, Did FEDERAL GOVERNMENT levy a tax on U.S. citizens specifically for this park? If the answer is No, then the First amendment of the Constitution is not being violated. Remember the Constitution was written to lay guidelines of what the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT can do, the Bill of Rights was written to tell the Federal government can not do and to PROTECT the States and the PEOPLE from the Federal Government. Now, did these counties establish this park as a religious institution? The name tells you that it wasn't. IT IS A MEMORIAL which means it was established to serve to preserve remembrance :  commemorative. Now, lets look at the Indiana State Constitution and ask was this park established as religious institution? Again, the answer is NO, therefore Section 6 "No money shall be drawn from the treasury, for the benefit of any religious or theological institution" of the Indiana Constitution was NOT violated...OM}

"No secular purpose, no matter how sincere, will detract from the overall message that the Latin cross stands for Christianity and the overall display promotes Christianity," wrote Rebecca S. Markert, the foundation's attorney. (So? The Federal Government or State Government DID NOT pay for or erect it...OM)

Markert added that the cross "will send a message that the government only cares about the deaths of Christian soldiers." (No it doesn't. The government had nothing to do with it except donating the land and NOT receiving payment, after all it is a PUBLIC park and belongs to the CITIZENS of Indiana...OM)

The 14-inch, white-painted cross is at the bottom of an 8-foot-tall wooden chainsaw-carved statue. At the top is a bald eagle perched above lettering that says "All gave some; Some gave all." One side of the eagle's perch is an Indiana state flag. On the other side is a soldier.

DNR officials are deciding if they will allow the carving to stay in place near the park headquarters. A message left with a DNR spokesman Monday wasn't immediately returned.

Whitewater Memorial State Park was formed in 1949 and was dedicated to World War II veterans from Union, Wayne, Fayette and Franklin counties in east Central Indiana. It's about 80 miles east of Indianapolis.

The debate over the cross erupted earlier this summer when retired Liberty restaurateur Wendell Bias sent a letter to the DNR after he saw the statue on display at the park.

Bias, a U.S. Army veteran, told The Star today that he didn't think the cross was appropriate.

"I just thought that a memorial to veterans in a veterans' park didn't need to be turned into a religious shrine," he said. (Since when is a PUBLIC PARK a place connected with a holy person or event where people go to worship. So according to Mr. Bias, IF a church group camps overnight at the park and the next morning have a prayer of thanks, it is not allowed?)

Bias didn't know who alerted the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an atheist and agnostic group of more than 21,000 national members. The foundation didn't return a request for comment Monday.

Veterans' groups and other residents donated money to pay for the carved memorial, Union County Development Corp. president Howard Curry said. No taxpayer funds were used for the carving, which was donated to the park. (HERE IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER! NO taxpayer money was used therefore this statue does not violate Federal OR Indiana Constitutions...OM)

The Richmond, Ind., sculptor who carved the piece, Dayle K. Lewis, said he used his chainsaw to carve the cross because that particular section of the statue "was plain and needed something," but he also wanted to set the scene of a soldier standing over a grave. The cross, he said, was a natural fit.

"We didn't think this would be a religious thing," he said.

Lewis was quite proud of the statue that he spent at least 90 hours working on, until he read a negative online article posted by an atheist group in which anonymous commenters tore it apart.

"They were talking that it was hideous, the worst sculpture they ever seen; it (the soldier) looked like a farm boy with overalls and a bad haircut," he said. "They were really ripping it."

But Lewis said he's also been heartened to received praise from national supporters. He said a California man offered to buy it if the DNR ordered it moved from the property.

The statue also has received more than its share of support in this town of 2,100 people.

Bob Napier, a Union County Korean War veteran, said his group sent a petition with 1,651 signatures to the DNR urging the agency to keep the statue where it is.

A Facebook group called "Keep the Cross Carving at Whitewater Memorial State Park" has more than 800 members.

Some have proposed removing the cross from the bottom of the statue, but Napier said that's not an option.

"We don't want that," Napier said. "We want it the way it is. We don't want to move it somewhere else, either. We want it to be at the park that is dedicated to veterans. Vets fought for freedom, but they keep taking our freedoms away from us."

But Bias said that all soldiers, not just the Christian ones, fought for their nation's freedoms.

"I've been to Arlington a couple times, and I've been to France to that cemetery over there," Bias said. "While they're mostly crosses, they're not all crosses." (This a MEMORIAL NOT A CEMETERY...OM)

It's going to be up to the DNR to determine which of these cross purposes prevails in Liberty.

Source: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/09/01/cross-indiana-state-park-prompts-atheist-protest/14933081/

Final note: When is enough going to be enough? All Patriots should write, call, email, snail mail Indiana DNR to keep the statue. As I feel I've shown, in no way does this violate the establisnment clause of the U.S. Constitution or the Indiana Constitution.

Currently the online petition is closed, maybe if people contact the author he may reopen it.

UPDATE! UPDATE!

"Governor Pence to make a ruling yesterday that the cross stays on the statue as is & will be displayed at Whitewater Memorial State Park.

To that end, this Sunday at 2 pm at Whitewater Memorial State Park there will be a Salute to Veterans, free entrance to the public 1-3 pm, hotdogs will be served, please bring a side dish. The Wisconsin pro-atheist group has stated that they will be in attendance protesting the cross on the carving. It’s essential that we remain steadfast & unified. When this group arrives in our county, which will surely generate more national attention, they need to see that we are NOT budging. We speak for ourselves. 

We’ve made our opinions known and that the Governor has ruled with the majority. This WI pro-atheist group, who has no other interest in Union County, feels they should speak on our behalf to further their cause, ultimately giving them the attention they desire and lining their own coffers. 

We are asking that everyone in Union County, who IS in favor of the keeping the cross put a cross OR a sign in their yard, which reads “I support the keeping the cross on the carving” (or something to that affect) prior to this weekend & keep them up through Patriot Day, 9/11. When these people arrive, they need to see that we speak for ourselves, & it will be visible everywhere they look. Let’s keep this Sunday joyful & honorable for our veterans. Bring your families to Whitewater Memorial State Park to enjoy this community event."

Let me know what you think.

Semper Fi!