January 25, 2012 | 9:40 AM | By

Religious War Memorials Protected Under New Bill

FILED UNDER: San Diego, Veterans, American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, House of Representatives, Mount Soledad cross, Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, religious symbols, Rep. Brian Bilbray, Rep. Darrell Issa, Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr., separation of church and state
Mount Soledad Cross

Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross

The controversial Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial and other religious war memorials would be protected under legislation by San Diego Republican congressmen Duncan Hunter Jr., Brian Bilbray, and Darrell Issa. Their bill cleared the House of Reprentatives yesterday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The LA Times reports a recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals calling the Mount Soledad cross unconstitutional inspired the legislation, dubbed the The War Memorial Protection Act.

Rep. Hunter told the Associated Press that his bill…

“…ensures that Mount Soledad and any other war memorial will withstand… attacks by allowing the inclusion of all symbols of religion and personal faith on war memorials established and under the control of the federal government”

But the American Civil Liberties Union’s Dena Sher told the LA Times:

“When a religious symbol is included in a war memorial favoring one religion over others, it’s simply unconstitutional. Congress cannot legislate around the Constitution, nor should it be using religion to score political points.”

The bill still must pass the Senate and get President Obama’s signature before it can become law.