The headlines blare “Judge rejects Nativity displays in Santa Monica.”
Well, yes. And no.
From press accounts, my understanding is that the city is not just banning Nativity displays, but all displays. That is a little different.
Of course, this action was prompted by militant atheists, but hey they pay taxes too.
It seems that the demand for the display locations was so great (due to the atheists) that the city decided last year to do a lottery in which most of the locations were won by atheists. Now the city decided that the cost and the hassle is no longer worth it and decided on no more displays period.
Now that may be unfortunate, but it is not completely unreasonable and certainly not a particular bias against Christians. Of course the atheists are pleased with this result, but pleasing atheists is not always unconstitutional (although wouldn’t it be great if it was?)
Yes, this is an unfortunate end to a long standing tradition, but the ruling itself is not that bad. Take comfort in that if you can.
November 20, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Let's pray for those perfidious atheists.
November 20, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Atheists may pay taxes but that does not give anybody the right to violate our First Amendment rights, "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The court does not own any citizen's freedom of expression, nor can the court prohibit the free exercise thereof unless there is a crime involved. A Nativity scene is not a crime. I mean a crime, not an "offended" because "offended" is merely a matter of individual opinion, actually taste, kind of like the color of shoes one prefers. There must be a codified law which is broken, and since there is none, the Nativity scene is permissible, legal and constitutional. Now, who is going to tell the judge?
November 20, 2012 at 10:55 pm
Except that it is easier to see evil by the fac that it destroys what is beautiful and leaves nothing in its place. Abortion kills a baby, is there anything more beautiful than an infant? The Taliban destroyed the 1500 year old Buddas as acts of terror. The terrorists in Egypt call for the destruction of the Pyramid. Here, they call for the destruction of the Nativity scene and public displays of beauty. It is a parallel. Evil cannot tolerate beauty.
November 21, 2012 at 3:42 pm
It is a victory for atheism, although not neccesarily for atheists. Atheism offers nothing of its own, it merely rejects God(s). This ruling offers nothing, it merely rejects (—).
November 21, 2012 at 4:57 pm
There are limits: people can engage in free speech in a park, but the consitutional right doesn't guarantee the freedom to leave an installation there unattended. Cities can forbid that.