The anti-Christian Freedom From Religion Foundation was dealt a blow by a federal judge who denied their demand that a statue of Jesus be removed from a government plot in Montana.

The statue of Christ, part of a monument built to honor World War II soldiers, is located in the Big Mountain ski resort in Whitefish, Montana. The anti-Christians said that the simple existence of the statue constitutes government endorsement of Christianity.

“Unquestionably, Big Mountain Jesus is a religious symbol commonly associated with one form of religion. But not every religious symbol runs afoul of the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution,” Chief Judge Dana L. Christensen wrote in his decision. “…the Court finds that the renewal of the Special Use Permit does not constitute a government endorsement of a religious message and thus does not violate the Establishment Clause. Therefore, summary judgment is granted in favor of Defendants.”

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty defended the statue. Attorney Eric Rassbach was pleased with the result.

“We still don’t know if a tree falling in a forest makes a sound. But we can be sure that a lonely Jesus statue standing in a Montana forest doesn’t create an official state religion for the United States,” said Rassbach. “The Court’s common-sense decision today honors our veterans, preserves our nation’s history, and rejects the idea that all religious symbols must be banished from public property.”