One attorney believes the lawsuit faced by a Connellsville, Pennsylvania, school district over a Ten Commandments monument displayed at the junior high schools illustrates the agenda of groups like the FFRF.
Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel explains that the monument has been on the property for decades, and no one has complained about it. But now, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) objects to its longtime location and to the school's offer to move the monument across the street to church property. The argument is that someone from the school might still be able to see it.
"This really illustrates, I think, their agenda, and that is not to have the constitutional issues addressed, but literally to erase Christianity ... Judeo-Christianity and any kind of symbols from our history and heritage from even the sight of someone," Staver submits.
"Whether it's on private property or not is no concern of theirs; what's a concern of theirs is whether or not someone can even see it."
But rather than file lawsuits against religious symbols, the attorney points out that atheists and agnostics can resolve their objections in other ways. For example, they could simply look the other way.
"This illustrates that if they want to remove a monument so that no one can see it, even though it's on private property, then they obviously have an agenda longer term to remove churches from any kind of public building," Staver asserts.
"[They could conceivably argue that] no churches could be near a public school; [or that] crosses ought to be eliminated because [someone] might be offended as they're driving down the highway and see these crosses."
The attorney says he sees this degree of radicalism continuing to come from the FFRF and similar organizations.