Whitefish, MN – An atheist group is suing a Montana ski resort over a six foot statute of Jesus that was erected on federal land, according to the Daily Mail .
Although the monument was meant as a World War II memorial, some folks are clearly offended by the statue’s presence. As a result, they would like it removed from the property.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed the lawsuit against Whitefish Mountain Resort earlier this year. The Catholic group which erected the Jesus statue reportedly sought to have the case thrown out. However, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen is allowing the suit to go to trial.
“I could just say, ‘Hallelujah.’ It was very obliging of the judge to let it proceed,” explained the Freedom From Religion Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor.
The Knights of Columbus explained that, since nobody was actually harmed by the statute of Jesus, then the suit should be dismissed. According to FOX News , the offended atheists said Montana native William Cox is regularly offended by the monument every time he skis past it.
Gaylor said the reason the Freedom From Religion Foundation didn’t name anyone in the lawsuit is because they didn’t want the individual to become the subject of controversy within the community.
“We just want to deflect attention away from him. We’re at least long distance. We know how heated it gets,” she explained.
According to the Missoulian , the Forest Service originally intended to revoke the Jesus statue’s permit last year. However, an outpouring of support from the surrounding communities promoted officials to reverse their decision. The service explained that it had no official stance on the pending lawsuit.
Do you think the Whitefish Mountain Resort should be forced to remove a statute of Jesus because it offends some of the atheists who ski past it?
