A veterans memorial, now under fire for its inclusion of a cross, is New Jersey's latest clash of church and state.
It's a squabble typically reserved for December, when evergreen trees appear in town centers and decorations adorn city hall lawns.
But every so often, arguments about religion in the public sphere pop up without warning. Enter Roselle Park, which now finds itself the target of a lawsuit over a statue honoring veterans that was erected outside the public library.
The mayor says the memorial, which shows a soldier kneeling over a grave marked by a Christian cross, is meant to honor all veterans. A councilwoman, her husband and a humanist group say the statue constitutes government endorsement of religion.
On Thursday, the borough council voted to remove the statue from the library's front lawn. The fate of the lawsuit remains to be seen.
Here are some of New Jersey's other notable church-and-state controversies from recent years:
Renaming of a town tree lighting
Roselle Park Councilwoman Charlene Storey, who is now suing the borough, resigned last year after the council voted to rename its "holiday" tree lighting a "Christmas" tree lighting. She rescinded her resignation two days later.
Roselle Park Mayor Carl Hokanson poses with the lit "Christmas" tree in December 2015 after controversy over what to call the evergreen. (Jessica Remo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)A "Keep Christ in Christmas" banner
The Freedom From Religion Foundation in 2011 sought the removal of the banner hung in downtown Pitman. The sign remained and went up again the next two years -- but not without additional sparring.
This "Keep Christ in Christmas" banner over Broadway in Pitman created controversy in 2011. (South Jersey Times file photo)A church symbol in a town seal
Clayton's town seal and motto came under fire from The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which said the image of a church and reference to prayer made them "unmistakably religious." The borough council in April voted to keep the seal and motto.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation in April protested Clayton's town seal and motto on the grounds that they are "unmistakably religious."Another tree lighting gets a moniker change
The mayor of Robbinsville in 2013 added "Christmas" back to the name of the annual tree lighting ceremony. He told The Times of Trenton: "The more politically correct we become, the more we forget who we really are."
In a 2009 photo, the Robbinsville High School Choir sings Christmas carols next to the lit tree during the annual tree lighting ceremony. (Times of Trenton file photo)A block on funding to religious schools
A state appeals court in May ruled the Christie administration could not give $11 million to an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Lakewood and a Presbyterian seminary in Princeton. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey called the decision "a groundbreaking victory against government sponsorship of religion."
Udi Ofer, the executive director of ACLU-NJ, which challenged the Christie administration's proposal to give $11 million in state grants to a pair of religious institutions. (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Churches getting public money
Morris County freeholders in August voted to give grants to religious institutions, despite a lawsuit challenging the move. The Freedom From Religion Foundation and a Madison resident allege using taxpayer money to fund churches violates the state Constitution.
A church in Morristown, where the Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing to stop the Morris County freeholders from giving historic grants to religious institutions. 1/26/2015 (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)A cross in a Sept. 11 monument
The American Atheists in 2013 threatened legal action against Princeton over a proposed Sept. 11 memorial. As of September, a steel beam with the etched cross meant to be part of the memorial reportedly remained in storage at a Princeton firehouse.
Princeton Deputy Fire Chief Roy James poses for a portrait with a steel beam from the World Trade Center in Princeton. 7/24/2013. (Andrew Miller | The Times of Trenton)Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.