"One has to wonder why the Christ Church leaders in Alexandria decided to move both historic plaques. Is George Washington now to be equated with Robert E. Lee?"

"What sort of tortured reasoning led them this perverted decision?" — so reads one of the comments at "Historic Alexandria church decides to remove plaques honoring Washington, Lee" (WaPo).

Two commenters attempt answers:

1. "Since it's en vogue to judge historical figures with contemporary values and norms, perhaps the church just felt it was easier to remove all political figures from their sanctuary. After all, you go to church to worship God, not George Washington."

2. "The two plaques were installed at the same time and are arranged symmetrically about the alt[a]r. Removing one creates an imbalance. They are looking for a suitable other location within the church. Note that it is a church, not a museum or historical monument. As important as Washington was to the United States history and Lee was to Virginia history and confederate mythology, neither were saints of the church or figures of the Bible. Putting them behind the altar puts them on a level with Jesus and Moses."