More Skeptic and Atheistic Response to the Holmen Star and Cross

Posted by Anthony on May 18, 2008

If you’ve been following my posts about the Holmen cross/star, you know that my position is that the Village of Holmen took the ‘easy’ way out in its attempt to preserve the cross on Star Hill, and likely a foolish attempt at that, as they’re probablygoing to get sued anyway.

I’ve been following the blogosphere reaction and found a truly remarkable read from a science blog.  It is the comments in particular that I find interesting.  They prove that some people simply cannot be pleased.  If you thought the offense was that it was on public property and that the transfer to private property would make the skeptics and anti-religionists happy, boy were you wrong.  That means you, Holmen Trustees.

I want to speak to one of the general themes in the comments where our valiant atheists deem to speak for the residents of Holmen, indignant that they would pass up $600 just so that the star and cross, which has been up for forty years, could be retained.   The presumption is obnoxious.  I live in the town.  Let us remember exactly how many people were offended from the start:  one.  Just one, a certain Eric Barnes, a recent resident of the town.  In point of fact, most residents of the village are quite pleased with the council’s solution… and others who aren’t happy, like myself, wouldn’t have sold it to anyone.

The other arrogant presumption, although completely par for the course, is the belief that we’re talking about die hard Bible Thumping Republicans.  What nonsense.  A survey of election returns over the last eight years would settle that.     I have seen the same kind of tact on another blog I found.  La Crosse is a liberal county.   Some other explanation is needed, and cramming the county’s inhabitants into the absolutely wrong box in order to make the world make sense to you ain’t going to cut it.

I can sum it up quickly enough:  maybe activists in Madison wouldn’t want such monuments erected, but they don’t live in Holmen.  The simple message here is:  Mind your own Business.  Which, incidentally is exactly why I didn’t want them to sell the land in the first place.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the blog I found.

Holmen Star Church and State Issue Coming to a Boil

Posted by Anthony on May 6, 2008

This Thursday, May 8th, the Holmen village council is expected to take up the issue of the Holmen ‘Cross.’  Perched on a bluff that can be seen from a great distance is a lighted star that during Easter is lighted as a cross instead, for just about a week.  A relatively new resident decided that this offended him and it constituted an establishment of religion.  The Holmen village decided to sell the small piece of property to the Lions Club which formerly was involved with the star and cross.  This would effectively put the object on private land and dodge the church and state separation issue.

Oh, if only that would work.

A recent Holmen Courier article reports that several national atheistic organizations have taken an interest in the affair.

According to the article, the piece of property was appraised at $100.00 and the American Humanist Association and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have both placed bids higher than a $1,000.  The basic idea is to shame the village of Holmen if they consider offering the land to the Lions Club at its appraised value.  Additionally, the Lions Club might be forced to decide the cost is too high in order to avoid that shame.  But probably the real reason is legal.  The article reports that “Both Ritter [AHA] and Gaylor [FFRF] said litigation is a possibility if the Lions Club wins possession of the land with a lower bid.”

Indeed.

The Holmen village council had hoped to avoid controversy and turmoil by following in the footsteps of La Crosse, who after a bitter legal process successfully defeated the FFRF and managed to sell of a 10 Commandment monument in a La Crosse park to a private entity.   That was their hope, but it was misguided.  In seeking to avoid a lawsuit they will probably still end up in a lawsuit.  The only way to avoid a confrontation is to submit to the demands and remove the cross.  With Eric Barnes bringing to bear two national anti-religious organizations it is clear to me that the town of Holmen had better move quick to produce some allies of their own.

Now, some of my own thoughts. Read the rest of the entry… »