A cross controversy at Ground Zero reaches all the way to Atlanta.  An atheist group is suing to stop the display of a steel cross at the September 11 memorial.

American Atheists say they have nothing against the cross.  Their problem is with the presence of a religious symbol at a government-supported display.

"This is an attempt to turn this into a Christian or sacred place where in fact it is a place that is very important for all Americans whether they happen to be Christians or members of other groups," said the group's Ed Buckner.

The cross, a pair of steel beams found in the rubble of the World Trade Center, were recently lowered into the national 9/11 Memorial and Museum.  Buckner's group sued to block that.

Margaret Aymer, PhD of Atlanta's Interdenominational Theological Seminary argues the cross belongs at Ground Zero.

"It became a way for them to say in the middle of this struggle, there is more, there is a way forward.  That is why that cross is there," she said.  "It is a historical artifact."

"They're trying to make it into a historical artifact instead of a religious one," Buckner said.  "But it was in front of a church for many, many years.  It was treated as an object of worship."

Despite the dispute, construction continues and the lawsuit remains in the courts.