An Atheist Visits the 9/11 Memorial Museum, Sees the Cross, and Goes “Meh”

John Rafferty, the president of the Secular Humanist Society of New York, visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum and wrote about his experiences for The Humanist. The most interesting part may be where he comes across the controversial 9/11 Cross that American Atheists filed a(n unsuccessful) lawsuit over:

The infamous “Miracle Cross” is in the After section and, in spite of my worst anti-theist, humanist imaginings, I’m okay with what the museum has done. It’s not treated as a “miracle” nor given any special place or attention. It stands in a small grouping of artifacts that the exhibit card said gave some workers “spiritual solace.” Let’s face it: the damned thing is part of the 9/11 story. It was dragged out of the wreckage by construction workers, who did make a big deal of it (as did professional theists with agendas) and it was part of the media circus for a long while. But the museum treats it as just one more artifact among many. You really could walk by it without noticing it, and while I stood there at least 10 minutes taking notes, I did not see any special attention being paid to it.

I wonder if any other atheists who have visited the museum have similar reactions? I have to admit, since the museum opened (and the lawsuit saga ended), I’ve heard virtually nothing about the cross.