(Patriot.Buzz) – Fighting for their faith, a Christian group in California is pushing for the restoration of their 28-foot cross after city officials used eminent domain to remove it.
The officials claim there were complaints that the cross evoked imagery similar to KKK cross-burnings and was offensive to “diverse communities.”
According to a press statement, the Albany Lions Club has lit up this cross during Christmas and Easter since 1971 as a beacon of God’s love and solace for Christians.
For over five decades, the cross on Albany Hill not only symbolized religious sentiment but also served as a site for communal gatherings, including prayers, weddings and memorials, all on land originally owned by one of the club’s members.
However, this land became the center of disagreement after the city of Albany seized it last year.
Civil liberties organization Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) pointed out that the cross only faced opposition in 2016 when an atheist group complained and prompted the Albany City Council to seek its removal.
In 2017, then-Mayor Peggy McQuaid slammed the club’s decision to light up the cross on September 11, stating, “The Albany City Council was dismayed to learn that in a departure from historical practice, the cross on Albany Hill was lit by the Albany Lions Club on Monday, September 11.”
A January 2023 court ruling ordered taking down the cross by arguing that it was not essential for the Lions Club’s operations. PJI challenged the decision by emphasizing the club’s right to religious expression.
The cross was dismantled in June 2023 under the approving eye of then-Mayor Aaron Tiedemann, who said doing so aligned with the city’s values of inclusivity.
The Lions Club, with PJI’s assistance, is now petitioning for the cross to be reinstated. They criticized the city’s biased stance against the Christian symbol as a violation of religious freedom and free speech.
PJI’s Brad Dacus highlighted the First Amendment’s protection of such expressions of faith, accusing Albany of specifically targeting Christian symbols.
In his view, the city would have supported symbols representing other communities, such as the LGBT community, which signals a discriminatory agenda against the Christian cross.
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