2/6/12: US Forest Service Reverses Itself on Jesus Monument

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The U.S. Forest Service has reversed its decision to remove a World War Two memorial from Montana’s Big Mountain because it included a statue of Jesus.

The Forest Service said it would re-authorize a permit for the 57-year-old statue after facing a firestorm of outrage from religious groups and local residents. The agency received more than 90,000 comments on the issue.

Jeff Mateer of Liberty Institute said the decision “honors the ultimate sacrifice of the Tenth Mountain Division for whom it was erected, and is a clear victory for the First Amendment, which prohibits government discrimination against this historic veteran’s memorial simply because of its religious viewpoint.” The Forest Service said decision took into account that the statue “is important to the community for its historical heritage.”