Court to Hear Key Church-State Case about Cross Display

By Michelle Boorstein

The Supreme Court this morning will hear what could be a very significant case about church-state relations.

The case of Buono vs. Salazar asks whether the government is showing unconstitutional favoritism by allowing a 6-½ foot cross on a remote desert outcropping on federal land, the Mojave National Preserve in California. The cross was put up in the 1930s as a tribute to felled soldiers and it's believed that the veterans who put it up didn't realize the land was government-owned and saw it as a secular tribute. Since then, however, the case has been snarled in courts and has now narrowed to a point: Is this an example of the government establishing a religion?

Experts say this is the first major case when these justices will dissect the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and could - if justices choose to view the case most broadly - could provide clarity on a blurry issue.

In an article from Mojave National Preserve last week, our colleague Bob Barnes notes there are implications for war memorials around the country that use religious imagery.

We'll update you once we get more.

By Michelle Boorstein  |  October 7, 2009; 9:11 AM ET  | Category:  God in Government Save & Share:                 
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