united-states us-constitution
Does the rebuilding of St Nicholas church building pose a constitutional problem?
<p>One of the buildings that got destroyed during the 9/11 attacks was the St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church. It is busy being rebuilt.</p>
<p>I'm assuming that some sort of government funding involved. Is there some constitutional concerns over a place of worship being built with government money?</p>
<p>I know the rebuild is part of New York's attempt to heal from the scars of a deeply traumatic event but is it actually legal for a place of worship to get built like that?</p>
<p>Edit</p>
<p>It seems under further investigation the Ports Authority of New York and New Jersey is funding the rebuild.</p>
<p>I have also seen that the building will have a secular bereavement room, although I'm not entirely certain I know what a secular room is meant to be.</p>
<p>Probably a room that has the logo of the American Secular Humanist Organisation on the wall instead of a cross.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nicholas_Greek_Orthodox_Church" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a></p>

<p>Why do you assume &quot;government&quot; funding is involved?</p>
<p>From <a href="https://stnicholaswtc.org/about/frequently-asked-questions/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Frequently Asked Questions | Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The rebuilding of Saint Nicholas is being funded through “The Friends
of St. Nicholas&quot;, a separate non-profit 501(c)3 that has raised the
funds to complete the construction. Individual donations are welcome,
and every donation will be permanently recorded in the Church.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>501(c)(3)'s are perfectly legitimate: <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/1/501c3-organizations.asp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">501(c)(3) Organization Definition investopedia.com</a></p>
