Supreme Court says 40-foot Maryland cross can stand as war memorial
WASHINGTON _ The Supreme Court said Thursday the Constitution did not require tearing down historic monuments just because they featured religious symbols, such as crosses or the Ten Commandments.
In a 7-2 decision, the high court upheld the display of a nearly century-old, 40-foot cross that sits on public land at a busy Maryland intersection just a few miles east of Capitol Hill.
The justices ruled that the World War I-era monument, known as the Peace Cross, could stand as a war memorial honoring local soldiers and was not an unconstitutional promotion of a favored religion.
The case posed the first test of church-state separation since President Donald Trump's two appointees joined the court. But Thursday's decision did not chart a new, more conservative course on religion. Instead, the justices, including two liberals, stressed the importance of history and tradition.
_Los Angeles Times
