NYC ATHEISTS MARCH MEETUP - THE WTC / 911 "MIRACLE CROSS" LAW SUIT

GROUP LEADER: MICHAEL DORIAN

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SUBJECT: Developments in American Atheists' 9/11 "Miracle Cross" Lawsuit. AA and NYCA got a day in court to appeal the decision to include the "Miracle Cross" in the September 11th Museum.

Come hear how things played out in this story that continues to garner major media attention. NYCA's recent demonstration was well attended by our membership despite frigid weather. The case still provokes controversy as AA and NYCA stand strong in a battle to safeguard the separation of church and state in this significant and high profile lawsuit.

Our opposition--the Board of Directors of the 9/11 Museum--claims the "Miracle Cross" should be in the museum because it is "historic" and because other museums also contain religious art. We counter that "miracles" cannot be history because they are supernatural. History is based on the real. For example, the Shroud of Turin is rejected by historians as a part of real history,

We also counter that the religious art at, say, the Metropolitan, is there not because it is religious but because of its style, technique and the artist's talent. No Caravaggio at the Met has ever been consecrated, nor masses conducted in front of it; nobody prays to it, leaves money in envelopes under it or attaches mementoes to it. The Miracle Cross, on the other hand, is a piece of debris, one of hundreds of i-beams found on the ground after the Twin Towers went down. It was uprighted, cleaned up, declared to be a message from god, mounted on a pedestal, making it higher than its original 17 feet, and Masses conducted in front of it. It has been totally "religionized" and claimed to be a miracle. We Atheists feel it is a a hoax and constitutes "product placement" on the part of the Catholic church, who seek to dominate a million-dollar location.

Learn more about the progress of this historic case this Tuesday night in our always inspired discussion hosted by AA New York Regional Director Michael Dorian.

LOCATION: Stone Creek -140 East 27th St. (3rd/Lex) - REAR ROOM

COST: Free, but participants are expected to purchase drink or food to compensate Stone Creek for their space.