Written by Don Byrd
Sometimes, proponents of religious monuments on government land should be careful what they wish for. As advocates like the Baptist Joint Committee have long warned, the separation of church and state is good for religion. When government gets behind a religious perspective, strings are attached, or worse….
In Montana, via Religion Clause, a lawsuit challenging the propriety of a statue of Jesus on federal land used as a ski resort was dismissed by a trial court Monday, using some disturbing reasoning. The Christ statue in question, the court found, is primarily a secular display.
From the opinion:
Big Mountain Jesus has been the subject of much frivolity over the years. In addition to serving as a meeting place on the mountain for skiers, and a site for weddings, it has not infrequently been observed adorned with ski poles, goggles, ski hats, mardi gras beads, and other attire, all secular in nature. In fact, frequent repairs have been made to the outstretched hands of Big Mountain Jesus which have been dislodged by passing skiers and snowboarders who have given a “high five” to the statue.To the extent Big Mountain Jesus may have had some religious significance at the time of its construction by the Knights of Columbus, and may have provided from time to time spiritual inspiration or offense to some, over the course of the last 60 years the statue has become more of an historical landmark and a curiosity.
The idea is disturbing that a monument to Christ can lose its religious significance, and become an appropriate government monument in the process, due to years of “frivolity.” This line of thinking underscores why we should not allow government to co-opt religious monuments. In so doing, government doesn’t honor religion, it systematically secularizes its expression.
