A religious freedom group issued a response to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over his criticism of the United States Merchant Marine Academy’s choice to cover a painting of Jesus at its New York location.
The academy placed a curtain of the 10-by-19-foot “Christ on the Water” painting in response to a complaint it received in January from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. The foundation’s complaint represented 17 Merchant Marine Academy midshipmen, faculty, and graduates.
“The email alleged the Academy’s display of ‘Christ on the Water’ violates ’the salient time, place, and manner requirements of American Constitutional law' and demanded that you remove it,” wrote Cruz.
“This allegation’s ignorance of U.S. Constitutional law is surpassed only by the swiftness with which you capitulated to Mr. Weinstein’s demand, apparently within three hours of receiving the complaint,” Cruz added, referring to the author of the foundation’s letter.
Foundation’s complaint focused on the painting’s location, which it said violated the establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment.
Later in the month, the academy said it would remove the curtain but cease conducting official business in the room. The academy also stated that its long-range plan is to “engage a vendor to clean and restore the painting and eventually display it at the Academy’s Chapel.”
The author of the foundation’s complaint letter, Mikey Weinstein, told The Epoch Times that the organization’s focus is solelt on “the time and place and manner in which members of the military believe they have the right to deploy religious or non-religious faith.”
“Of those active duty, veteran, and civilian military personnel the MRFF has represented, about 95 percent are practicing Christians,” said Weinstein. “And one of our biggest supporters is California Church IMPACT, which includes more than 5,500 Protestant congregations in California.”
Weinstein added, “As for Ted Cruz, I suggest he book another ticket to Mexico and take a copy of the Constitution and read it dispassionately and with rationality and reason.”
Painted by U.S. Marine Lt. Hunter Wood, the 10-foot by 19-foot “Christ on the Water” shows Jesus with his hands extended toward a boat of merchant marines in a lifeboat foundering among the waves.
Since 1947, the painting has hung on the same wall in what is now called the Astronaut Elliot M. See Room, a space on the USMMA campus where, until the recent debate, the Academy held events, including disciplinary hearings.
