Should Atheists Fight Religious Christmas Displays on Public Property?

I say yes. The reason being is that if we don’t then we start seeing these used as examples of how “We’re a Christian Nation” (TM). I know it’s unpopular and most of the time it’s not a fight that I’d personally pick but over the last few yrs I’ve been changing my stance on this issue just because christians like to point to things like this as examples. Everything from the 9/11 cross to 70 yr old war memorials w/ crosses on them. I find it ironic that some christians will point to “In God We Trust” on our money and “Under God” in our pledge as their examples when most senior citizens can remember when they were added. So yes…it should be fought.

It is very important to fight religious displays, prayer in school, and other religious customs in the public government functions because the fight is about equality for everyone. Not everyone is a Christian. Why do people have to be submissive to the majority? That is BS. Who died and made them King?

Any church, private house or other private entity can put up a creche. They can all get together and put a BIG one up on private property. I have never understood why it HAS to be on city property in front of the firehouse or city hall or whatever. Why should my tax dollars (usually in the form of city workers helping to erect and maintain it) go for this? Don’t I have a say at all? The whole point of the religious freedom thingy, as far as I can discern from the writings of the “Founding Fathers”, was to PREVENT dictation of religious mores by the majority on the minority. So, YES, petty or not, we should fight it. It’s just another example of pushy Christians whining about “persecution”.

I often look over childhood photos- when I was so wrong about everything. But I see the happiness. I’ve learned my parents were not gods, but the adoration I feel for them now is even better. Christmas is now about art instead of reason, beauty instead of history. Perhaps this is about a baby we shouldn’t throw out with the bath water. Just the wonder of a baby. No such thing as divine? How about they are all divine? I do believe in shedding, but I find the old skin rather beautiful in it’s own way. It just reminds me how far we’ve come, like Santa does. We don’t have to be too old for bed time stories. What do we have to display? Let’s get about that. I don’t feel we have a cause, we have the truth. It needs no defense, it has forever. Let’s get busy celebrating that and never mind what others are doing. Light does not fight darkness, it just shines.

You asked why on public property? To keep pushing the envelope. Like a child misbehaving a little more each time, to see what they can get away with. Also, about “proving” the “christian nation” point. The do it, we make an issue, it goes to court, money is spent (Hey, it is not the individuals money. It is revenue from taxes, so it is not real money, right?) Even if they lose, they can claim a moral victory, and if asked about all the money lost on this fools errand, they can blame the godless heathens!

I feel that generic Christmas displays including Santa, elves and trees are ok. But as soon s we start getting into mangers, and menorahs it crosses the line.

Frankly I live in a multi ethnic, multi cultural country and for every religious celebration those various religious symbols are put up. If all are allowed to have their display up then I guess it is okay. However, on the flip side of this is, I believe alot of these religious people like confrontation and as such once we oppose their displays in public places they are ready to fight us.

Exactly. There was a Fox News nut on the Thom Hartmann show a couple days ago, and he was arguing this exact topic, and the first argument that he pulled out to defend nativity scenes on public property was to claim that we’re a “Christian nation” and cite “In God We Trust” as proof of this. I facepalmed rather violently.

I support that more than just fighting the symbols. The more the merrier. Plus plurality of displays would pass muster with lawsuits more easily than removing all of them. the supreme court has pretty much said as long as the number of religions/views supported in the displays are greater than one, it’s probably Ok. (and none of that,”we play both kinds of music country AND western” nonsense)

Absolutely we should challenge overtly religious displays on public property. Christians in the United States have long taken advantage of their majority status to violate the Constitution with their religious displays on government property. Challenging this may make us unpopular, but who cares, we are already the “least trusted” minority. But the tide is turning as more people turn away from religion.

Preferably, we would simply have such displays removed, rather than clutter up public spaces with numerous displays, such as what is being proposed in Oklahoma with the Church of Satan and Hindus offering to erect displays alongside the Ten Commandments. It is the same reason that religion should not be taught in public schools (other than in a historical/cultural sense), because there are so many religions, it would be impossible to cover them all equally.

I am an atheist, and I still celebrate Christmas secularly. I would still love to see Christmas trees, lights, snowmen, reindeer, Santa, wreaths, etc. adorning our public spaces. None of these have any connection to religion or Jesus. But don’t try putting up a nativity scene and telling me it belongs representing all of the people.

On the one hand, being as right-wing as I am, I do find it petty when things are changed solely to accommodate the sensitive feelings of a loud few.

But, on the other hand, fair is fair. There shouldn’t be any display of personal faith in the public space. This was agreed to back when the country first started and it’s part of the law, simple as that.

If the 10 commandments so offends a group of non-Christians that much, I say, get rid of it. To kick up a fuss and claim “religious persecution” (barf) is….well, petty.

As others have pointed out … fighting small fires is easier then a full forest fire.
But we should also be fighting this on a larger scale by doing it on ALL holidaze and by encouraging and helping other religions put up displays on their holidaze. The next best thing then atheists to piss off xtians is to have others (muslins) to put up displays thru the year.

Please don’t make me prove Godwin’s Law.

Every town, no matter how small, has far more churches than city halls. It should be perfectly obvious to everyone that it is the church’s job to put up nativity scenes and the city’s job to fill the potholes. Last Christmas I was in the car with a fundie complaining about how “they” were banning nativity scenes. Then we drove past their church which had no so much as a speck of glitter for Christmas decorations. It seems they want to use everyone else’s tax dollars to celebrate “their” holiday. That’s the mindset of Fundamentalist Christianity. They should put up their own nativity scene the way they see fit. But no, they want the city to do it and cry persecution if anyone objects.

But the law states separation of church and state so none should be allowed. However, if you are going to allow one, you are not going to be able to eny any.

There is no reason to sully the fine name of Country and Western music in this discussion.

Blues Brothers reference, it could not be helped.