Apparently some atheists are upset that a 9/11 memorial will have the “WTC cross” found in the wreckage of steel girders where the towers had stood. I am agnostic, but I am not easily offended by displays of religion. It is a freedom which I feel very well pays its own freight. I used to be fairly militant in my atheism, but that stance made little sense to me after some years. How could I be so smug and inflexible on a topic where my whole thesis was that certainty without evidence was unacceptable?
The cross discovered in the smoke and rubble was a powerful symbol to many who served on scene, and was a comfort to those who toiled in the swirling mist of human and architectural remains, while we watched on TV. As funerals are for the living, memorials allow us a demarcation in space and time to remember and honor the dead. I need not challenge the faithful on what they admit, indeed exult, are articles of faith to them. Any good agnostic ought to be able to appreciate the Lost Horizon maxim uring moderation in all things–even in moderation.
I will be happy to see the memorial. I understand that scores of millions will be happy to see that it includes the cross which featured so prominently in our imagery of the aftermath, and which gave strength to those who find themselves able to draw strength from such things. In fact, for that reason, I myself will be happy to see the cross as well. Because it’s not about me. That much I know for certain.
