Written by Don Byrd
The U.S. National Forest Service probably made the right decision last year in declining to renew the lease of an organization maintaining a large statue of Christ on the Big Mountain Ski Resort, federal land in Montana. That move was apparently inspired by a Freedom From Religion Foundation complaint, leading to all the outrage from the other side of such issues that you can probably imagine. After a period of public comment, the Forest Service has now changed its position, deciding to renew the lease after all, leaving the statute – and the likely litigation it brings – in place.
In a statement, [Supervisor Chip] Weber explained that “the statue is important to the community for its historical heritage based on its association with the early development of the ski area on Big Mountain.”
The statement also cited the statue’s eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a factor in the decision.
U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., praised the Forest Service for having “the courage to do the right thing” and he said the strong public response likely played a part.
In reconsidering the permit request, the Forest Service solicited public input and got 95,000 comments, most of them generated from Rehberg’s congressional website and an online letter posted by the American Center for Law and Justice, a national organization that counters groups such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, a spokeswoman for the foundation, said Wednesday that a lawsuit already was prepared and would be filed by today in U.S. District Court in Missoula.
These memorials continue to be a problem area of church-state law, not so much because courts have trouble deciding whether permanent sectarian religious displays are appropriate on public land (they aren’t), but because posturing politicians typically can’t resist getting involved. They pass resolutions affirming Christian monuments, transfer small chunks of land to private control, or designate controversial areas as national monuments, all in a misguided effort to preserve what are essentially government-sponsored affirmations of Christianity, as if Christians need, would want, or should accept the government’s help in spreading the Gospel. We don’t need it and we shouldn’t accept it.
This time around, here’s hoping politics, and in turn the government, stays out of the business of proclaiming Christ.
