Applying a significant brake on the secular State’s hostility to religion, the US Supreme Court has ruled that a large World War One memorial cross which resides on federal land, does not breach the Constitution.

The ruling overturns a lower court judgement that said the cross was a public endorsement of religion.

That court had suggested the 40-foot-tall monument that was erected in 1925 should be removed or have its arms lopped off so it would become an obelisk.

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday by a 7-2 majority that it may stay in place and should contained to be maintained by the Government.

In another ruling, the Court vacated a lower-court ruling that upheld $135,000 in fines against a now-defunct Oregon bakery called Sweetcakes by Melissa for refusing to do work for a same-sex wedding. In their order, the Supreme Court directed lower courts to consider their 2018 ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop, in which the court determined that laws and enforcement targeting people for their religious beliefs violate the First Amendment.