After a heated debate over the separation of church and state in the U.S, a mountaintop Jesus statue has been allowed to stay in place at a ski resort in the state of Montana.
Statue concern
The statue has been on federal land since 1955 and after the Forest Service reversed its eviction order it has been allowed to remain in place for at least 10 years more.
According to The Washington Post , the Forest Service had faced a ‘firetorm’ of criticism from religious groups, the state’s congressman and residents after it decided last year to remove the Jesus statue from its hillside perch in the trees above Whitefish.
After they decided to reverse the eviction of the statue on Tuesday (31/01/2012), opponents to have promised a lawsuit within the week. They are arguing that the statue’s free placement on federal land is unconstitutional.
The statue has become something of a curiosity at the famed Big Mountain ski hill for decades and it can mystify skiers with its appearance in the middle of the woods as they cruise down the hill.
The Forest Service said in its original decision that case law was stacked against such a statue. They previously argued rules prevented the federal government from favoring or promoting religion.
The Forest Service supervisor Chip Weber spoke to the Washington Post and said that the revised decision took into account that the statue is eligible for placement on National Register of Historic Places, and that no concerns related to environmental conditions were found in about 95,000 comments received by the agency.
The new decision has seen a renewal of the 10-year special-use permit for the Knights of Columbus Council, members of which placed the statue there.
Weber said: “I understand the statue has been a long-standing object in the community since 1955, and I recognize that the statue is important to the community for its historical heritage based on its association with the early development of the ski area on Big Mountain.”
