Crossing out freedom

There is a growing movement in the United States to establish a permanent monument on the site of the WTC destruction. Although disappointing for those of us who would like to see them rebuilt as a symbol of man's resilience in the face of adversity, it can be accepted. Unfortunately, the proposed monument is nothing less than a Christian cross.

The cross was inspired by a sighting during the WTC rescues. As may be recalled by the people who saw it in the news, a fundamentalist construction worker called Frank Silecchia interpreted two steel beams found upright in the rubbish as a cross. Incidentally, Silecchia has opened a web site, publicized on the cross, to sell religious paraphenelia related to the WTC and make a tidy profit out of his little adventure (see http://www.wtcgodshouse.com/ ).

Since then, gullible Christians have been using the beams as an icon of prayer and religious services. Now, the officials responsible for the memorial on Ground Zero have until December 1st to take a decision.

Of course, the mere fact that people would consider financing a cross with public money is irresponsible. But what is to say that the cross is a holy sign from God ? This seems unreasonable even from the theistic standpoint, since God himself did not stop the WTC attacks from happening. As such, the assertions from Falwell and other evangelists that God is punishing the United States is much more reasoned than the assertion that God has helped Americans during the attacks.

Of course, for a Muslim, it would be more indicative that Allah has helped them. If the steel beams represent something, it is rather a representation of Allah's superiority. But since Allah doesn't exist either, to an atheist such discussion of holiness is pure twaddle.

Holy signs exist wherever belief in gods exist, and can appear in any form of random configurations. You can see signs on a cow's skin (such as the Muslims who have recently claimed to see Allah's name on a cow), you can see the Virgin Mary on a tile, or you can see Satan in the smoke generated during the WTC attack (as seen in many newspapers for gullible people). It is a simple and easily explained phenomenon of metaphorical interpretation, coupled in some cases with our inborn instinct to watch for faces or bodies, and our misunderstanding of probabilities. There is nothing mystical about it.

In any case, the establishment of such a religious symbol on a source of grievance for people of all religions is pure evil. If there was such a thing as being a monster, surely changing people's grief and strong feelings about WTC into an opportunity for religious conversion would be a sign of monstrosity, much like the evangelists who take advantage of people who are grieving a close friend or family member.

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