Two Rulings Expected on Public Displays of Nativity

[DemBones DemBones]

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=52234


10-December-2004 -- EWTNews Brief


MICHIGAN, USA, December 10 (CNA) - Two judges are expected to rule next week in separate cases on whether the Christian Nativity scene can be displayed in public.
The Thomas More Law Center filed the two cases, one in New York City and the other in Bay Harbor Islands, Fl., over policies that deny the public display of the Christian Nativity while permitting the display of symbols of other religions.

The center had filed a federal lawsuit, challenging a New York City policy that encourages and permits the display of the Jewish Menorah during Hanukkah and the Islamic star and crescent during Ramadan, but prohibits the display of the Christian Nativity during Christmas.

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(This last part is about Bay Island, Florida.)

The town had decorated the lampposts on its main street with Jewish Menorahs and stars of David and allowed a Jewish synagogue to display its Menorah at the town entrance. However, the town denied a Christian resident permission, for the second consecutive year, to display her Christian Nativity scenes.

Town attorneys defended their policy, saying the Menorah is a secular symbol and not a religious one like the Nativity.

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How can the Jewish menorah and Islamic star and crecent be considered secular and acceptable, and a Christian Nativity scene banned? I certainly think of Judaism and the Maccabbees when I see a menorah and of Islam when I see the star and crescent symbol. What else could anyone think of?

I LIKE seeing symbols of other religions! I like knowing that we live in a pluralistic society, where people of different faiths can work and live together.

I'm distressed that Christians are prohibited from displaying Nativity scenes. Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, and the like are secular symbols of the Christmas season. Christmas has become a cultural holiday, with many secular symbols, making it a holiday anyone may enjoy and celebrate if they wish to. It can be thought of as a season of peace and that is no small thing. But a Christmas tree is not equal in meaning to a menorah or the star and crescent together. It is not a Christian symbol at all.

We Christians shouldn't be prohibited from displaying creches in public places at Christmas, when the creche is the quintessential symbol of the Christian meaning of Christmas. Even in schools, whatever happened to having displays of different cultures? All religions have cultural aspects that schools can discuss/ display examples of without advocating the religion itself. We used to learn Christmas customs of other countries, including singing Christmas carols in other languages. The only real problem I see is that there are no specifically atheistic symbols/customs but states could specify statewide (i.e., required) teaching objectives to foster understanding/respect for atheism and agnosticism as well as all religious faiths. Respect for, and understanding of, cultural differences has to be part of any curriculum.