Toto

Slate Magazine has published a rather flippant (but deservedly so) essay on the Supreme Court decisions governing public displays of Nativity Scenes, Menorrahs, and other symbols: Cr裨e Test Dummies, or a Creche course in the Constitutionality of Holiday Displays By Dahlia Lithwick

Seeker630

I think I read the article you're talking about. It struck me that it has relevance to the city I live in. They used to put a nativity scene on the front lawn of the City Hall. Just two or three years ago I think, anaother small city in this general vicinity lost a lawsuit challenging the practice. My city saw the writing on the wall and stopped the public lawn display.

HOWEVER--what they then did was lease some square footage in the center boulevard of the road the city Hall sits on and directly in front of it, to the local Knights of Columbus chapter, and now THEY put up the same identical display.

This has gone on for the last 2 or 3 years. All of a sudden, this year for the 1st time, there is another display right next to it of a Santa sleigh with reindeer done in white lights. Behind the display is a sign from the local PTA chapter which seems to indicate that they are responsible for the display.

I don't know if someone said something or if the city legal people are just paying attention to these decisions, but it sure fits what the article said about a secular display negating the religious aspect of the nativity scene--what head games! I'm going to try and take pictures of this and also the city seal which appears on the doors of some municipal vehicles:

"God guides us through Widsom, Justice and Faith" is the motto on the seal.

Toto

Is this city Detroit, or one of its suburbs? "God guiding Detroit" - that's the best argument for atheism I've seen in a while.

4th Generation Atheist

No robots in the original Jesus story? Awww.

If there'd been giant killer robots involved, I mighta wanted to go to church!

Seeker630

It is the city of Lincoln Park, which is an old suburb immediately to the south of Detroit if you look it up in your road atlas. Pretty blue-collar area--Lots of auto company employees in this area.

I've got pictures of the nativity scene I took yesterday--now if I can just figure out how to get it on the net so anyone can look at it---any suggestions? I'm no pc or web expert.

But getting back to your initial interest, yesterday I started looking at local churches as I was running errands. I checked maybe 6 so far, and not one has any kind of creche/nativity scene on their property. I will look at more today as we seem to be saturated with churches in this area. Amazing isn't it? They will scream if anyone challenges the display on city land, but don't think enough of it to put one in their own yard.

Amulet

Every year, the park in Mays Landing, NJ by the court house displays a Nativity scene. I don't know if anyone's ever complained. I don't live in there, but my boyfriend and I drive through there from time to time. He doesn't mind that sort of thing; he's Catholic, although not practicing.

Toto

You need to scan the pictures and put them on a web site, or send them digitally to someone who will. There are lots of places where you can get free web sites, and you can do the scanning at Kinko's if you don't have a scanner. I'm not the best one to help you with that - I like plain text myself.

Seeker630

OK--I'll have to figure out something--the pictures were taken with a digital camera.

Toto

You should be able to skip the scanning step then! You should be able to transfer the image directly to a computer. But like I say, I'm too old fashioned. Did your digital camera come with a manual?

Oresta

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Originally posted by Toto:

Is this city Detroit, or one of its suburbs? "God guiding Detroit" - that's the best argument for atheism I've seen in a while.

I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Toto. OT:I can't lay my hands on the motto on Detoit's seal, but it refers to the great fire of 1805 and roughly translates from the Latin, "Regeneration out of the ashes." Perhaps someone here can give the exact translation. No gods. Not in our motto, charter, courtrooms or elsewhere.
Seeker630, Was it your downriver school board that had a couple of its members unsuccessfully try to get creationism into the curriculum? I remember it was a hot issue.
Edited to recover a missing "n".

[ December 30, 2001: Message edited by: Oresta ]</p>