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In reply to the discussion: Judge says giant cross must be removed from San Diego mountain [View all]Nika
(546 posts)59. We had a similar controversy with the old tall cross on Skinner's butte near the center of Eugene...
... Oregon. It took many years for that fight to be resolved, but the cross was moved to a new hillside home at a Bible college. A large flagpole was erected to replace it, as the cross was allegedly a war memorial as well, and that filled that void in the scheme of things of that controversy.
I suggest they move this 59 year old cross, put a more neutral replacement for a memorial to Korean, and move on. not all people who served in the Korean War we Christian. Which makes me think this too was an excuse, calling a religious icon a memorial when it in face was never that primarily.
Cross controversy[edit]
The Skinner Butte Cross at New Hope Christian College (formerly Eugene Bible College)
From the opinion of the 9th Federal Circuit Court,[8] the official history of this controversy is as follows
:
The City of Eugene ("City" maintains a public park on and around Skinner's Butte [sic], a hill cresting immediately north of the City's downtown business district. The land was donated to the City and has been maintained as a public park for many years. From the late 1930s to 1964, private individuals erected a succession of wooden crosses in the park, one replacing another as they deteriorated. In 1964, private individuals erected the cross at issue in this litigation. It is a fifty-one foot concrete Latin cross with neon inset tubing, and it is located at the crest of Skinner's Butte. The parties who erected the cross did not seek the City's permission to do so beforehand; however, they subsequently applied for and received from the City a building permit and an electrical permit.
Since 1970, the City has illuminated the cross for seven days during the Christmas season, five days during the Thanksgiving season, and on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran's Day.
The cross has been the subject of litigation since the time it was erected. In 1969, the Oregon Supreme Court held that the cross violated both the federal and the Oregon Constitutions because it was erected with a religious purpose and created the inference of official endorsement of Christianity. Lowe v. City of Eugene, 463 P.2d 360, 362-63 (Or. 1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 1042 , reh'g denied, 398 U.S. 944 (1970). Soon after, the City held a charter amendment election, and on May 26, 1970, the voters, by a wide margin, approved an amendment to the City Charter designating the cross a war memorial. Pursuant to that amendment, the cross was deeded to the City as a gift, and a bronze plaque was placed at the foot of the cross dedicating it as a memorial to war veterans. The Eugene City Charter provides that the "concrete cross on the south slope of the butte shall remain at that location and in that form as property of the city and is hereby dedicated as a memorial to the veterans of all wars in which the United States has participated."
On June 14, 1997 and as a result of the 9th Federal Circuit's ruling, the cross was subsequently removed and reinstalled at Eugene Bible College near Churchill High School and a flagpole flying an American flag was erected in its place. U.S. Representative from Oregon Charles O. Porter was one of the people who had advocated for the removal of the cross.[9]
See also[edit]
The Skinner Butte Cross at New Hope Christian College (formerly Eugene Bible College)
From the opinion of the 9th Federal Circuit Court,[8] the official history of this controversy is as follows
:
The City of Eugene ("City" maintains a public park on and around Skinner's Butte [sic], a hill cresting immediately north of the City's downtown business district. The land was donated to the City and has been maintained as a public park for many years. From the late 1930s to 1964, private individuals erected a succession of wooden crosses in the park, one replacing another as they deteriorated. In 1964, private individuals erected the cross at issue in this litigation. It is a fifty-one foot concrete Latin cross with neon inset tubing, and it is located at the crest of Skinner's Butte. The parties who erected the cross did not seek the City's permission to do so beforehand; however, they subsequently applied for and received from the City a building permit and an electrical permit.
Since 1970, the City has illuminated the cross for seven days during the Christmas season, five days during the Thanksgiving season, and on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran's Day.
The cross has been the subject of litigation since the time it was erected. In 1969, the Oregon Supreme Court held that the cross violated both the federal and the Oregon Constitutions because it was erected with a religious purpose and created the inference of official endorsement of Christianity. Lowe v. City of Eugene, 463 P.2d 360, 362-63 (Or. 1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 1042 , reh'g denied, 398 U.S. 944 (1970). Soon after, the City held a charter amendment election, and on May 26, 1970, the voters, by a wide margin, approved an amendment to the City Charter designating the cross a war memorial. Pursuant to that amendment, the cross was deeded to the City as a gift, and a bronze plaque was placed at the foot of the cross dedicating it as a memorial to war veterans. The Eugene City Charter provides that the "concrete cross on the south slope of the butte shall remain at that location and in that form as property of the city and is hereby dedicated as a memorial to the veterans of all wars in which the United States has participated."
On June 14, 1997 and as a result of the 9th Federal Circuit's ruling, the cross was subsequently removed and reinstalled at Eugene Bible College near Churchill High School and a flagpole flying an American flag was erected in its place. U.S. Representative from Oregon Charles O. Porter was one of the people who had advocated for the removal of the cross.[9]
See also[edit]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinner_Butte
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Good. I think we should start a fundraiser to sponsor installation of giant FSM statue
idwiyo
Dec 2013
#2
Our Constitution now applies to a religious symbol in another nation? What is going on here?
jwirr
Dec 2013
#4
Sorry I was thinking about the statue in South America. I am 72 years old - and wrong some of the
jwirr
Dec 2013
#51
Dynamite it in place and use the scrap to make Darwin Fish trunk medallions. nt
Demo_Chris
Dec 2013
#6
Actually, no. It became a Korean War Memorial back in 1989/1990. It was an Easter Cross in 1954.
haele
Dec 2013
#71
CNN - the OP's wrong. The Korean War Memorial was added to the base of the cross.
haele
Dec 2013
#108
An issue so asinine that only the asinine would "fight any effort to remove it...."?
LanternWaste
Dec 2013
#80
Actually, in this case, I think you're the target of the "too bad", regardless of your petulance
LanternWaste
Dec 2013
#125
When it DOES come down, I want a turn swinging the sledge hammer, just to piss YOU off.
Ian David
Dec 2013
#95
Because it's a giant religious symbol on public land and implies an official imprimatur. n/t
Ian David
Dec 2013
#93
I want this put up to honor all the muslims that have died in service to our country.
neverforget
Dec 2013
#141
It's an urgent issue to those fighting an implicit government endorsement of a religion.
maxsolomon
Dec 2013
#53
at one time, vast majority of americans didn't give a shit if negroes could vote
frylock
Dec 2013
#79
Not all of your father's buddies were chrisTians. And not all of the taxpayers paying for that land.
Ian David
Dec 2013
#65
I can only imagine that many other people too, pretend to themselves they are clever enough to know
LanternWaste
Dec 2013
#82
Look, Ranchemp. I've got the same position on this as I did on the Palinesque opportunism when the
freshwest
Dec 2013
#131
Actually, word from long-term La Jollans is that it was originally put up to mark a covenant area.
haele
Dec 2013
#64
Apparently it was not, you are wrong. I thought you were sworn to defend the Constitution.
Hoyt
Dec 2013
#110
Again, it was erected as an "Easter Cross", not a War Memorial. That was put in around 1990.
haele
Dec 2013
#114
Nope, because all other faiths have their symbols too - Pagans have the Pentagram, Asatru have
Hestia
Dec 2013
#133
At least be honest and accurate-- in memorium for dead vets if for no other reason.
LanternWaste
Dec 2013
#127
Why couldn't they just add a little to the design so it's not a cross anymore?
Kablooie
Dec 2013
#15
I say cut off the the right and left part of the cross and name it "Our Festivus Pole"
BlueJazz
Dec 2013
#16
I'm so tired of all the Festivus believers trying to push Festivus on the Rest of Us.
olddad56
Dec 2013
#21
Wow, that giant is really, really happy to see you and/or pummel you with a stick
AtheistCrusader
Dec 2013
#25
It is so cool how y'all rechalk it every 7 years (correct?)! Now *that's* history
Hestia
Dec 2013
#134
Seems like a technical violation of the second commandment, doesn't it?
AtheistCrusader
Dec 2013
#26
If Jesus had arrived in 1950's America....would Christians be walking around with tiny...
PassingFair
Dec 2013
#129
There will be a war within the FOX "News" audience as well. Some vets for, some vets against.
kelliekat44
Dec 2013
#43
Great Result! Those decades of effort will now feed, clothe, and shelter thousands!
onehandle
Dec 2013
#34
We had a similar controversy with the old tall cross on Skinner's butte near the center of Eugene...
Nika
Dec 2013
#59
Simultaneously, a subtle victory in preventing one additional step in allowing religious law to run
LanternWaste
Dec 2013
#88
""jumping the shark" ring a bell to you?" Yes-- your posts now that you mention it.
LanternWaste
Dec 2013
#128