Supreme Court says 40-foot Maryland cross can stand as war memorial 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 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. As a result, their opinion does not offer encouragement to local and state officials to erect new religious displays on public property. Speaking for the court, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said the Maryland cross was erected in 1925 as a tribute to 49 soldiers who died in World War I, […]
