Atheist Group Sues to Block ‘Cross’ at 9/11 Memorial

An atheist organization has gone to court over the National September 11 Memorial and Museum’s plan to include a cross-shaped beam found in the World Trade Center rubble in its permanent display, writes The New York Times.

American Atheists sued on Wednesday, four days after the 17-foot-tall artifact was moved to the museum site from a nearby Catholic church, where it has been on display for five years.

The nonprofit New Jersey group said displaying a religious symbol at the museum, due to open next year on government-owned property, would violate the U.S. Constitution and New York State civil-rights law.

Joseph C. Daniels, the museum’s chief executive, said the historical significance of the cross justified its display.

“We have a responsibility at the museum to use the authentic artifacts that really came from the site itself to tell the story of not only what happened on 9/11 but the nine-month recovery period,” he said.