Atheist Group Offended by Islamic Symbols--No, Wait

An atheist group is trying to keep American mosques from displaying the crescent moon and star above their domes--oh wait, that isn't right. Atheist groups are not offended by Islamic symbols; I almost forgot. 

An atheist group does not want the Ground Zero Cross displayed at the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York (which opened this past May 21st) where religious Muslims commandeered two commercial jet planes filled with terrified passengers and pilots who had their throats slashed with box cutters, and flew the jets into the Twin Towers, killing 3000 people. 

The mosque displays don't bother the atheists, the cross does.

A federal appeals court now says the group has to better explain how displaying the cross is "offensive" and violates their constitutional rights. Perhaps these atheists are offended by people who believe in God and practice their faiths in ways they see appropriate. Perhaps they had personal experiences with religion that tarnished them for life, or maybe they simply do not believe in a supreme being. What they believe, however, is to stifle the expression of the beliefs of others, except for Muslims.

The 17-foot-high cross is actually a steel beam that was part of the physical structure of one of the towers. It became a source of comfort for first responders who often prayed there and left flowers at its base. This offends atheists but the religious belief in jihad has yet to be confronted by these testicle-challenged atheists.

American Atheists first filed the suit in 2011, allowing 10 years to go by before having the courage to be offended. Imagine if these brave soulless creatures filed the suit in late 2001 or early 2002. The case was thrown out last year by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York.

An amicus brief was filed by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, an non-profit law firm specializing in church-state law, and whose goal is to protect free religious expression and traditions--things that evidently offend atheists.

Eric Baxter, a lawyer for the Becket Fund argued that American Atheists haven't the right to bring a lawsuit in the first place and said, "We're thrilled that the court picked up on this issue."

The atheist plaintiffs have until July 14th to file supplemental legal briefs to determine if the case will proceed. One question they must answer is how the offensiveness of the cross, which the atheists view as a Christian symbol for all 9-11 victims, becomes a "constitutional injury."

Sounds to me like their "feelings are hurt," but hurt is itself a feeling and you cannot hurt a feeling.

Another question these intolerant atheists must also answer is: if displaying the cross "marginalizes them as American citizens" how is that a "particular and concrete injury" compared to just "the abstract stigmatization of atheists generally."

The judge also wants the plaintiffs to prove their claim that taxpayer dollars are funding the museum. Sounds like the atheists make stuff up as they go along.

"Taking personal offense is not an injury that warrants invoking the power of the courts to shut down everything you disagree with," Baxter said. "The Constitution is not a personal tool for censoring everyone's belief but your own."

Sometimes it seems like liberals and atheists search high and low to find things they can be offended by--it isn't that they're actually offended; they just need to feel powerful.

If they really wanted to feel powerful, they ought to do something about the religion that attacked us. They ought to speak out against Islam's hatred for Christians, Jews, and all non-believers. They ought to speak out about those "moderate Muslims" who fail to speak out against jihadist atrocities. But that would require real courage and that is lacking in them like their lacking a belief in God.

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