One North Carolina city has finally surrendered in a long-fought battle to preserve a veteran’s memorial with a praying soldier and Christian flag.
The city, after spending $50,000 in legal fees, and with little hope of winning a court battle estimated to cost $2 million, ceded to the U.S. army veteran suing the town, the Winston Salem-Journal reports.
The statue of the soldier kneeling before a cross will be removed, as will the Christian flag, from the memorial in the city’s park, ending a four-year dispute.
[contextly_auto_sidebar id=”ziFf9Ht9ODkfMsSDrqNWwx5FrPs4jYYt”]
“The decision to settle this case has been very difficult for the King city council,” the city said in a press release. “It was not reached until it became clear that the costs of proceeding to trial would greatly exceed the city’s insurance policy limits.”
At the vote on the issue, disgruntled attendees complained about the ruling, with one saying what many in the town were likely thinking:
“What else are you going to give up next?”
A different North Carolina town had a victory in a prayer case in November. A federal ban on praying to specific deities such as Jesus was lifted in November.
So goes the string of skirmishes in towns across the country as religious liberty advocates duke it out with their opponents in the courtroom.
“The settlement marks an end to a difficult period in the city’s history,” the release states.
12 comments