Group Pushes For City To Remove Nativity Scene

[The Straight Story]

Group Pushes For City To Remove Nativity Scene

WHITEHALL, Ohio -- An out-of-state group is clashing with a Central Ohio city over their local manger scene.

At the center of the controversy is a traditional manger scene on Yearling Road in Whitehall, NBC 4's David Wayne reported.

The issue is that the scene is directly in front of City Hall -- and at least one organization is calling it unconstitutional.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation in Wisconsin called the manger's location a violation of the separation of church and state.

....

Some courts have allowed nativity scenes on public property if they're not the sole focus, Wayne reported.

http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2007-12-07-0005.html

[Hardrada]

OK, so let the atheists put up an image of.......what??

[Bucky]

3. Christopher Hitchens, maybe

Tom Paine works, too.

[Ezlivin]

5. One of our elves...

[Bucky]

9. OMG!

Now I've got a north pole too!

[valerief]

10. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES!!! Merkans can't

remember what it says.

[Ian David]

13. The Flying Spaghetti Monster, of course!

[Redstone]

1. An "Out-of-state group." That should tell you all you need to know. How about if they just

keep their fucking noses out of things that don't concern them?

I'm about the LEAST religious guy you'll ever meet, but if the people in that town don't mind having that "manger scene," it's THEIR business, not the business of some group of "out of state" assholes with nothing better to do.

Redstone

[The Straight Story]

4. Indeed

Hard to believe some people are scared to death of plastic figurines :)

[KittyWampus]

16. plastic figures representing the nuclear family. or is that nucular family

how about an alternative family manger.

Two gay dads and a baby from China?

just being silly-stupid :)

[Tesha]

19. Doesn't the Constitution apply everywhere?

Was slavery okay because "the locals" liked it
just fine?

Tesha

[Benhurst]

2. Yeah, if the nativity is reduced to the level of Frosty the Snowman

and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, then it is perfectly all right to have it in front of a public building.

You'd think "The Faithful" would want to find a more appropriate setting for it.

:shrug:

[2Design]

6. Jesus - they don't even live there - this is so right wing behavior n/t

[Bucky]

7. This doesn't violate the establishment clause.

Hate to side with the fundies here, but the Nativity scene only violates the establishment clause to the extent that having a Christmas holiday at all violates establishment. The fact is that the Nativity scene is a cultural inheritance; it's part of our secular culture's celebration of the Christmas holidays. This favors Christianity about as much as putting up a Christmas tree favors whatever pagan religions gave us the Yuletime traditions. Baby Jesus, presented this way, is as much a religious statement as Santa Claus.

It's a wall of separation between church and state, not between cultural traditions and state.

[Hardrada]

8. I agree. Secular department stores (many not even with

Christian ownership) put up these "religious" displays all the time and no one beefs.

[RC]

12. A Nativity scene is religious, therefore violates the separation between church and state

It favors one religion over all others, the Christian religion. Only the Christian religian has a Nativity scene. This Nativity scene is not secular, it is religious. Therefore it has no place on public property.

[Toots]

15. Right Christmas has absolutely NOTHING to do with Christ

Whatever could these people be thinking. :shrug: So what if the property belongs to the general public, if some people don't like CHRISTmas screw them...

[katandmoon]

11. Good for them.

If a local government spending tax money on a RELIGIOUS scene isn't a violation of the Constitution I don't know what is. And that affects all of us, ultimately.

[Redstone]

14. Oh, spare me. As I've stated, I'm about the least religious guy around. But if you

think that a Christmas Manger scene, paid for by the town or not, is a Threat to The Constitution, you need to find a hobby.

Redstone

[katandmoon]

17. Fine. Let EVERY community in the US put up a manger scene then.

After all if it's OK for one it's OK for all. Then let them continue the theme andstart putting up big crucifixes on city hall lawns at Easter. Ten commandments monuments all year round. And then let them make every public school kid be taught the bible in school. And so on and so. The theocracy is insiduous.

[Truthiness Inspector]

18. LOL, totally agree! n/t

[Disturbed]

20. Who believes that an Angel impregnated a woman?

Isn't that what this represents? Fantasy religious propaganda funded by Taxpayers is a
violation of the US Constitution, period.