Pam Tharp

LIBERTY, Ind. – The controversial carving created for Whitewater Memorial State Park has a new opponent.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) on Aug. 20 sent a letter to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources on behalf of a local resident, contesting the proposed placement of the 8-foot carved statue on state property because it includes a Christian cross.

The DNR still is deciding if the carving, which is a tribute to military veterans, may remain at the state park in Union County, which is dedicated to veterans. A call Friday to the DNR for a possible timeline for the decision was not returned.

The large carving was created eight weeks ago during the Liberty Festival by Richmond carver Dayle Lewis, who recently stained and sealed the art piece. The carving's cost was paid by donations, many of which came from local veterans.

FFRF, located in Madison, Wis., learned of the cross controversy from a story in the Palladium-Item, senior staff attorney Rebecca Markert said. The article was sent to FFRF by an Indiana FFRF member, she said. FFRF has 21,000 members, which includes more than 4,000 active-duty service members and veterans.

"We have members in all 50 states," Markert said.

Several years ago FFRF protested a Nativity scene placed on the Franklin County Courthouse lawn. At that time, FFRF said the Nativity would be permissible on public property if it also contained other symbols of the season, such as Santa Claus, snowmen and Kwanza.

The Liberty carving has multiple symbols of military service, but those don't matter in this case, Markert said.

"The cross is the premier symbol of Christianity," Markert said. "It is more religious than the Nativity and courts have treated it so. In California there was one very similar to this, with a soldier kneeling in prayer at a cross. The court struck it down."

Removing the cross from the park is unacceptable to local veterans, Union County veteran Bob Napier said.

"We turned in a petition with 1,651 signatures in support of the carving on Aug. 22," Napier said. "The outpouring online is even greater, with over 2,000 supporters. We're not collecting any more signatures. The DNR said that was more than adequate for a small community. They're telling us they'll make a decision shortly, but we don't know when."

No secular purpose, no matter how sincere, can change the overall message that the Latin cross stands for Christianity or that the overall display promotes Christianity, Markert said.

The display in a park would be a government endorsement of Christianity, a violation of the Establishment Clause, she said. The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment forbids the government from establishing a state religion. It also prohibits government action that would favor one religion over another.

An FFRF press release says the current statue excludes the 25 percent of military personnel who are atheist or agnostic or hold no religious preference. The group is asking that the statue's cross be removed and replaced with a secular symbol or that the statue be removed from the state park.

"The Vietnam memorial has no religious symbols, yet it is very powerful," Markert said.

Removing the cross from the carving is not an option, Napier said.

"We don't want that. We want it the way it is," Napier said. "We don't want to move it somewhere else, either. We want it to be at the park that is dedicated to veterans. Vets fought for freedom, but they keep taking our freedoms away from us."

If you go

Whitewater Memorial State Park will host a "Salute to Veterans" appreciation day at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7.

The pitch-in meal's main dish is hot dogs, which will be provided. A World War II veteran and former prisoner of war will speak, veteran Bob Napier said.

The event is free and open to the public.