Court: Jesus Statue Can Remain on Montana Mountain

The six-foot statue known as "Big Mountain Jesus" can remain on U.S. Forest Service property in Montana, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

The three-judge panel rejected a lawsuit against the statue brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The court ruled that the 60-year-old statue serves a "primarily secular purpose," and was not an unconstitutional establishment of religion.

The display was erected on a ski slope in the Flathead National Forest in 1954 by the Knights of Columbus.

It honors World War II veterans who fought in the Alps, and it's also included in the National Register of Historic Places.