While Fox News is always willing to defend the Christian cross, they have no problem attacking atheists who seem to have replaced Muslims and "illegals" as the personae most non gratae. So when Fox is able to combine their patented memes of persecuted cross with evil atheists, they've hit the meme jackpot. Last September, Fox had full guns blazing in defense of the placement of the "Ground Zero Cross" (a piece of a surviving steel cross beam, from the WTC, that became an object of Christian worship) at the Ground Zero museum. Martha MacCallum freaked out about this "iconic source of hope." Brian Kilmeade fulminated against the atheists who want the cross removed from the museum. Eric Bolling ranted about atheists who wanted to take away a "symbol of hope." Megyn Kelly did two segments in which she admonished atheists who are "making people upset" about something that "isn't religious" but "part of history." Yesterday, Kelly continued her cross defense in what could only be called a tale of two guests in that Kelly mocked her atheist guest while allowing her Christian guest to defame atheists. But this is straight "news" and not "opinion." Right?

Kelly reported the backstory; i.e. that ground zero museum is "sticking to their symbol" asking a judge to toss out lawsuit which demands that the cross be removed.  (Fact Check - they're only asking for the removal until equal space is given for non-Christians) She showed a photo of the "unforgettable image" of two steel beams shaped like a cross, "an inspiration in the middle of a tragedy." She noted that the cross is part of the museum and then raised her voice as she described how a nasty, bad atheist group has sued the museum over the constitutionality of the cross.

She said that the people at the museum say that it's their job to catalog history. David Silverman, president of American Atheists, responded that this is a public museum. He noted that the cross was consecrated by a Catholic priest. When he said that atheists aren't being represented by the museum, Kelly countered with "you didn't have a symbol" found at Ground Zero. Silverman explained that atheists don't have symbols and that the cross is just one of many cross beams that survived the fall of the buildings and, as such, the existence of this one cross beam "doesn't give Christians the right to usurp the rest of the nation and have a memorial solely to themselves." Kelly wanted to know if it is a memorial or an "artifact." (It's a crossbeam - not King Tut's death mask). Silverman said it is "a piece of scrap metal that has been deified."

When he said that all they want his equal representation and not the removal of the cross, Kelly snarked that "you want a big A."  She narrowed her eyes and stuck out her lower lip when, in a mocking tone, she mentioned that the case is causing distress. When Silverman talked about violation of rights, she pressed him on who is suffering dyspesia. (Fact Check - the "final complaint" of the suit does not mention dyspesia). When he tried to respond, she continued the mocking: "They'll testify in court that they're suffering dyspesia and headaches." Silverman responded that the world trade center will testify that this is a Christian cross so we'll see who is telling the truth.

She became very reverential with the second guest whose cousin was killed on 9-11. Joe Connor is "very angry" about this lawsuit against the "artifact" which "inspired" people. He compared the lawsuit to a request that the USS Arizona be destroyed because people pray at the site. (Kelly didn't say that there is no cross at that memorial) As he told his story, about how, on 9-11 he, his brother and a Jewish woman prayed at St. Patrick's Cathedaral photos of the "cross" were shown. (So that is relevant how?)  Kelly claimed that Silverman's group "wants something to reflect their beliefs that religion is a big hoax." (Way to editorialize and frame the evil atheist meme, Megyn.) After Connor read a George Washington quote about how religion and morality are indispensable, he accused atheists of trying to destroy religion and society with frivolous lawsuits. He continued to blither about atheist destroyers. Megyn had no rebuttals.

The dichotemy between Kelly's treatment of her guests couldn't have been any more stark. The message was clear. Cross, good; atheists bad. But the pièce de résistance was when Kelly, in referencing the atheists desire to have equal representation (which includes other non Christian faith), defined atheism in an incendiary manner. Using Kelly's criteria, I guess we could say that the cross reflects a belief that all other belief systems can suck it - a belief that's constantly being re-affirmed on the "fair & balanced" Fox News.