Christians Carry a 12-Ft Cross for Miles to Protest Atheists' Lawsuit Over TN Water Tower Cross

It was a classic, run-of-the-mill church versus state tale. Christians posted a cross on a Whiteville, Tennessee, town water tower. Atheists saw the cross and threatened the town with legal action.

Then, the town's mayor, refusing to take it down but unable to afford a costly legal battle, chopped off one of its arms, no longer making it a symbol of faith.

The last time we reported on the drama, we assumed the matter had been settled. Unfortunately, we were wrong, as the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has now filed a federal lawsuit against the town and the cross.

The last time the Blaze covered the dispute in late October, the FFRF thanked Whiteville for removing the arm, though they noted that they thought the move was bizarre. At that point, it seemed the dispute had ended.

The town's mayor, James Bellar, though clearly frustrated by the battle, admitted that it had concluded. “This brings to close a sad chapter in the history of Whiteville that can best be described as terroristic, cowardly and shameful!," he wrote in a letter to a FFRF lawyer. "The fear and terror caused our older people here is shameful. So shame on your client and your firm!”

The Commercial Appeal, though, has more about what happened after the matter appeared to be settled:

Not long after the water tower cross was disarmed, the town installed two crosses in front of town hall and decorated them with Christmas wreaths. Bellar also put a cross in the window of his insurance company. Foundation officials said they also heard that the mayor was thinking about leasing the tower to a private owner who could restore the cross.

While Bellar says that he initially considered removing the cross entirely, a local telecommunications company -- CrossRoads Tech -- told him that the water tower and the one-armed cross could be used for wi-fi equipment. This, inevitably, would bring broadband Internet service to the town. Aside from the obvious tech benefits, this action would enable the town to rent the tower out to a private business and, thus, have a stronger case for keeping the cross atop the water tower.

This prospect, along with the town's other cross-posting actions, clearly tipped the FFRF over the edge. In response to the lawsuit, many Whiteville residents are standing up for the water tower cross and for Bellar. Just before Christmas, wooden crosses began to pop up on lawns across Whiteville, as locals encouraged the mayor to fight the FFRF on the matter. Over the weekend, these protests continued.

On Saturday, around 50 churches joined together to march through the streets of Hardeman County, Tennessee, where they carried a 12-foot cross nine miles in protest against the FFRF lawsuit. The giant religious symbol was made of cardboard and weighed 40 pounds. Jimmy Sain, a resident of nearby Bolivar, came up with the idea as a way to support the mayor and the cross.

"This is one way I thought we could show our appreciation for the mayor having the courage he's had," Sain said. "We believe what we believe and other people can believe what they believe, but we're standing up for our Christ and His cross."

Nancy Hammons, a resident who participated in the march, reiterated this sentiment, saying, "We're showing our love for Him by carrying the cross to Whiteville and presenting it to a city that is under persecution right now."

Those standing opposed to the foundation's actions made it known that they weren't marching against the atheists. Instead, they said that they're marching in solidarity with with town of Whiteville.

"We're praying for them every day," Hammons said. "We love them and we're not doing this against them."

The response to the FFRF's actions mirrors the massive rally that unfolded in Texas this past Christmas season after the group attempted to have a nativity scene removed from a courthouse lawn. More than 5,000 Christians converged to rail against this action.

(H/T: WMCTV.com)