The first ammendment of the US Constitution advocates against the idea of a state sponsored religion. So there have been many debates about the separation of church and state. Where it comes into play in the artistic arena is with the issue of monuments. For example, is it constitutional (or correct) to put a large cross in the middle of a memorial dedicated to soldiers (that is government funded and owned by the state), some of whom were not of that faith? Is it okay to have the ten commandments displayed in court houses? The legal issues surrounding this seem to end up working in favor of the religious groups (namely Christians), in creating loopholes for them to wiggle through. Would this not be evidence of a state sponsored religion?

Give this wiki article about the Mount Soledad Cross contraversy a read, and give me your input on this issue. All opinions  are welcome :-)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Soledad_cross_controversy