Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

The ol' separation of church and state debate has enveloped a Montana ski area and its beloved statue of Jesus -- about 60 years after it was erected!

Apparently the Flathead National Forest has denied a permit for a statue of Jesus Christ to remain on public land at Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana.

(Reminds me of the years-long fight over a war memorial cross in the Mojave Desert in California.)

The statue of Jesus was set near the top of Chair 2 - near Hellroaring run! - at Whitefish ski area in 1955 by local 10th Mountain Division members as a tribute to World War II vets.  (Aw, c'mon, who wants to mess with that??)

The Knights of Columbus, the local group that maintains the statue, has regularly renewed the Forest Service lease.

Here's a story about the Jesus statue controversy in the Missoulian.

The statue is a meeting place for skiers and boarders - and one of the most photographed spots in the area.

“It’s a landmark. Everyone has had their photo taken by it, everyone expects to see it, and when it’s foggy and they see it, everyone knows where they are,” frequent skier Kjell Petersen told OnTheSnow.com.

See additional photos of the statue of Jesus here.

U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg says he's ready to take the debate national.

Supporters of the statue's removal have a Facebook page.

I think the Whitefish Jesus statue needs a page of its own!