So, I'm back at least for little while and have a concerning issue. My town's deparment building (basically city hall I think) has a nativity scene on their lawn. I first tried calling them. I confirmed it was a government owned building and I asked why they had it. They said it was for Chrismas. I told them it wasn't allowed. A government can not endorse a religion. They then come up with an excuse saying they are going to be putting up a Hanukkah symbol up to. Which doesn't make a difference. When I told the lady on the phone this. She dropped the conversion clearly was mad and told me to write a letter to the mayor. From what I know, writing a letter would get me no where. So, I tried contacting Freedom From Religion and got no answer. So, I'm coming on the forums for some advice on what to do. The problem that I see is I'm 17. I'm pretty certain my parents will be against or neutral to this so I will not have an 18+ help and it's drawing very near to Christmas.

You think you have a problem...the entire historical center of my town is going to be a living nativity scene until the January 5.

Doesn't help that they shot films like Mel Gibson's "The Passion" here...

(December 22, 2014 at 4:43 pm)Doggey75 Wrote: So, I'm back at least for little while and have a concerning issue. My town's deparment building (basically city hall I think) has a nativity scene on their lawn. I first tried calling them. I confirmed it was a government owned building and I asked why they had it. They said it was for Chrismas.

Nice answer

Quote:I told them it wasn't allowed. A government can not endorse a religion. They then come up with an excuse saying they are going to be putting up a Hanukkah symbol up to. Which doesn't make a difference.

Actually they just need some secular decorations up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynch_v._Donnelly

17? Part of me wants to see you raise a complaint. Part of me doesn't. If you do they will bully and be nasty. It would be amusing and incredibly damaging to them to be publicly seen doing that. But at the same time I wouldn't want anyone put through that shit.

Do you have a teacher at school who could help you, OP?

(December 22, 2014 at 7:42 pm)Natachan Wrote: 17? Part of me wants to see you raise a complaint. Part of me doesn't. If you do they will bully and be nasty. It would be amusing and incredibly damaging to them to be publicly seen doing that. But at the same time I wouldn't want anyone put through that shit.

I don't really care so much about the bully that I probably will receive. It's just at my age my word wouldn't do much unless I have an army of lawyers.

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(December 22, 2014 at 7:45 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: Do you have a teacher at school who could help you, OP?

No sadly. I think all of my teachers are christians.

Freedom From Religion responded to me . The woman that emailed me seemed interested and had a few questions and wanted me to take pictures (which I can't...Grounded xD). But, I'm awaiting a reply back hopefully they will come

(December 22, 2014 at 4:43 pm)Doggey75 Wrote: So, I'm back at least for little while and have a concerning issue. My town's deparment building (basically city hall I think) has a nativity scene on their lawn. I first tried calling them. I confirmed it was a government owned building and I asked why they had it. They said it was for Chrismas. I told them it wasn't allowed. A government can not endorse a religion. They then come up with an excuse saying they are going to be putting up a Hanukkah symbol up to. Which doesn't make a difference. When I told the lady on the phone this. She dropped the conversion clearly was mad and told me to write a letter to the mayor. From what I know, writing a letter would get me no where. So, I tried contacting Freedom From Religion and got no answer. So, I'm coming on the forums for some advice on what to do. The problem that I see is I'm 17. I'm pretty certain my parents will be against or neutral to this so I will not have an 18+ help and it's drawing very near to Christmas.

It isn't that it is not allowed. It depends if they deny others the same venue. If they do they are violating the Constitution.

The easiest way to get them to remove it isn't to tell them to remove it. The easiest way to get them to do that is to give them choices, like the brat at the check out counter who throws a fit over the parent not giving them candy.

They can let everything on public property, or they can keep the theme/meme neutral. What they cannot do is use government to set up social pecking orders.

Try telling them that you want to put up decorations to honor Lucifer (after all Lucifer was originally the 'light bearer' and that fits in perfectly with the theme of the winter solstice.)

(December 22, 2014 at 4:43 pm)Doggey75 Wrote: So, I'm back at least for little while and have a concerning issue. My town's deparment building (basically city hall I think) has a nativity scene on their lawn. I first tried calling them. I confirmed it was a government owned building and I asked why they had it. They said it was for Chrismas. I told them it wasn't allowed. A government can not endorse a religion. They then come up with an excuse saying they are going to be putting up a Hanukkah symbol up to. Which doesn't make a difference. When I told the lady on the phone this. She dropped the conversion clearly was mad and told me to write a letter to the mayor. From what I know, writing a letter would get me no where. So, I tried contacting Freedom From Religion and got no answer. So, I'm coming on the forums for some advice on what to do. The problem that I see is I'm 17. I'm pretty certain my parents will be against or neutral to this so I will not have an 18+ help and it's drawing very near to Christmas.

Putting up somethig for Hanukkah is actually a step in the right direction. The big no-no isn't having a religious display on government property, it's having it on government property without allowing displays representing other religous views as well.

Just a Hannukah thing isn't enough by itself, of course, but if no one tries to get any other displays up, you can't say they're discriminating.

If you're willing to do the work, a tasteful and uplifting humanist display for next Christmas would be the appropriate step. Put in the application, if it's turned down for something fixable, fix it. If it's turned down for no good reason, then you've really got a separation violation.

Most municipalities will choose to end having the nativity on their property rather than allow the space to be shared with minority religious viewpoints other than Judaism.

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(December 22, 2014 at 8:53 pm)Doggey75 Wrote:

(December 22, 2014 at 7:45 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: Do you have a teacher at school who could help you, OP?

No sadly. I think all of my teachers are christians.

Don't sell Christians short. It matters what kind they are. Many are on board with a secular government being in the best interest of religous people and atheists alike.