AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
PRESS RELEASE
Nov. 31, 1999

http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org


                   IDAHO CROSS "DEAL" IS VIOLATION
                    OF FIRST AMENDMENT SEPARATION


    American Atheists, a national civil rights and state-church separation
organization, today called upon the Boise, Idaho JAYCEES to "do the right
thing" and remove the Table Rock Christian Cross from a hill overlooking the
city.
    The cross stood on what originally was public land until the early 1970s
when it was "sold" to the Jaycees for $100 in a little-publicized transfer.
The sale took place in response to Supreme Court rulings which held that
religious monuments on public property violated the establishment clause of
the First Amendment.
    "Records of government meetings reflect that public officials acted with
clear intent of keeping the Christian cross standing," said Ellen Johnson,
President of American Atheists.  "This looks like a deliberate intent to
circumvent the Firs   endment by conveniently handing over a sliver of land
for a token sum, and making sure that the Table Rock Cross would remain in
place."
    Ms. Johnson called upon the Jaycees to "do the right thing and remove
the cross from Table Rock."  In response to threats of a possible legal
challenge, the Jaycees have begun a defense fund.
    "Instead of trying to justify this unconstitutional violation in court,
the Jaycees could heal the division so evident in Boise over this issue and
simply remove the cross," added Ms. Johnson.
    Ron Barrier, National Spokesman for American Atheists, said that the
Table Rock cross has nothing to do with freedom of speech, private property,
or legitimate religious practice.  "Christians are free to worship the cross
in their own homes and churches.  The real issue here is whether the state
improperly disposed of the land in a semi-secret deal just so the cross
would remain standing."
    American Atheists is involved in a legal case with issues similar to
the Table Rock cross.  In San Francisco, the organization has gone to court
to challenge the "auction" of the Mt. Davidson Christian Cross which stands
in the middle of a public park.

For more information, please contact:
Ellen Johnson, President           (973)334-5110
Susan Harrington, Idaho Atheists   (208)392-4719

American Atheists, Inc.
PO Box 5733
Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
Tel: (908)276-7300
Fax: (908)276-7402