Never fear, the attorneys are here to separate fact from fiction surrounding private citizens' right to freely express religious faith in the public square. Nativity scenes will appear in nine State Capitols this Christmas—five of them due to the work of the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, a national public interest law firm.
As experts on public Nativity displays, Thomas More Society attorneys have settled legal challenges for private groups sponsoring Christmas manger scenes for 30 years, since helping defend the original erection of a life size crèche on Chicago's Daley Plaza.
Christmas 2014 marks the eighth year that statues of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus have resided in a small stable at the Illinois State Capitol. Thomas More Society has also helped secure permits for Nativity scenes to be displayed this year in the state capitols of Florida, Georgia, Rhode Island, Texas and on the Governor's Mansion lawn in Oklahoma.
"These Nativity displays represent classic free speech and the free exercise of faith by private citizens in the public square," explained Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society. "However, the issue has not been without controversy," he added.
Private citizens who wish to display a Nativity scene in traditional or designated public forums often run into roadblocks that violate their free speech rights, including:
1. Take it all down
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Either unwilling or unable to discern what is legally permissible, some authorities will allow no displays that allude to Christmas. This was the case last year when the U.S. military's Guantanamo Bay commander ordered the removal of all Christmas Nativities, and Nativity scenes were also removed from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina.
2. Secular only
When only allowing secular holiday scenes, some authorities refuse to permit any display deemed "religious," deferring to generic winter symbolism such as snowflakes and mittens.
"These are issues that our Thomas More Society experts can address," offered Brejcha, who has helped file permit requests and brought about amicable resolutions to disputes with municipal and state officials over Christian Nativity scenes for three decades.
Brejcha added that resolution is often simply a case of education, "Nativity displays represent a constitutionally protected expression by private citizens in traditional or designated public forums, where the sole role of the government must be that of a viewpoint-neutral gatekeeper assuring open access for all citizens to have their 'say.' Such private expressions of religious belief in the public squares of our nation are not merely tolerable but fully deserving of robust legal protection." In other words, there's no need for a fight before Christmas.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Lily, can you post even MORE articles on atheists?
flan
Ask and ye shall receive...
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
For too long Christians have just stood by and let their rights and freedoms be eroded.
I say it is time to stand up. Point out the true intolerance. And stop being door mats.
The title clearly says what the article is about.
If you feel you might be bothered by the article, you have the option to not open it.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Should Nativity scenes and Christmas trees adorn the entrance lobbies of public schools, or other places paid for with taxpayer funds?
The government can't say no, really, provided they open it up to all. They can't favor one, so the Mennorah, and the Nativity need to have equal access. But in a small, midwest town, you are not going to find many other religions to be arguing. Those militant atheists get upset b/c they get offended by it and have nothing to put up to symbolize a belief in nothing without attacking something.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Here, it is the buckle of the Bible belt. If you don't want to deal with Christ in Christmas, then this probably isn't the place for you.
Now I am not saying a person isn't going to be welcome.
But if 1 single person can upset and disrupt an entire community, well, I have a problem with that.
There is a statue honoring Satan on the lawn of a courthouse, I forget where but I think Oklahoma. Yes Christians are upset over it and there were some protests over it but basically it hasn't been challenged.
However the same group that put that there are the same ones that would want to sue over a manger scene on the same lawn.
That is the difference.
I hear "tolerance" preached at me constantly. But I have yet to see it. I am called to be tolerant of everything and everyone else but I am supposed to sit down and shut up and keep my opinions and thoughts at home and in church.
Seems like a one way street to me.
So should nativity scenes and Christmas trees be in public schools? I don't see why a Christmas tree shouldn't be. It's a tree with lights and pretty things hanging from it. The meaning of it is up to each individual. Nativity scenes should be allowed especially if the tax payers put it there.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.