Supreme Court empties cross of its power

The Supreme Court ruled today in a way that some Christians will probably cheer. I am not one of them.

The court held that a cross serving as a war memorial in an isolated part of the Mojave Desert does not have to be taken down just because it is on federal lands. The Los Angeles Times story said that in explaining the ruling, the court’s opinion argued:

The cross “evokes far more than religion,” [Justice Anthony] Kennedy said.

He faulted the judges in California for having “concentrated solely on the religious aspects of the cross, divorced from its background and context. A Latin cross is not merely a reaffirmation of Christian beliefs. It is a symbol often used to honor and respect those whose heroic acts, notable contributions and patient striving help secure an honored place in history for this nation and its people,” he wrote.

(Full ruling in .pdf file here.)

The quotes above are not the only – or perhaps even the primary – basis of the court’s decision. My beef is not with the ruling per se. I’m no lawyer or Constitutional scholar. My concern is with the specific language used by Justice Kennedy.

I am not encouraged by a ruling that declares the cross a generic and inoffensive symbol of honor and respect for those who have died heroically. The cross on a grave is a sign that a Christian lies in the ground. A cross anywhere else is a witness to gospel. Even in the name of keeping a cross standing, we should not allow the meaning of the cross to be watered down.

I can almost hear the anti-Constantinians saying, “I told you so,” in my ears.

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