A federal judge has ruled that the display of an iconic cross-shaped steel beam in the National September 11 Memorial and Museum doesn't violate the constitutional and civil rights of atheists.
U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts concluded Thursday that the 17-foot-high cross, which became a spiritual symbol for workers at ground zero, does not amount to an endorsement of Christianity, according to Reuters.
New Jersey-based American Atheists Inc. filed a lawsuit in 2011 against the planned presentation of the cross-shaped beam, arguing it will impose religion "through the power of the state."
"No reasonable observer would view the artifact is endorsing Christianity" because the cross is to be accompanied by placards explaining its meaning and surrounded by secular artifacts, the judge wrote. "The Museum's purpose is to tell the history surrounding September 11, and the cross … helps tell part of that history."
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