Appeals Court Bars Nativity, But OK’s Islamic and Jewish Symbols At NYC Schools

Posted on February 4, 2006

A divided federal appeals-court panel ruled New York City schools can ban the display of the Christian Nativity during Christmas while permitting a Jewish menorah and the Islamic star and crescent during Hanukkah and Ramadan.

The Thomas More Law Center, which brought the case on behalf of Andrea Skoros and her two elementary school children, called the 2-1 decision Thursday by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan “another outrageous example of federal courts discriminating against Christians.”

“Many federal courts are using the contrived endorsement test to cleanse America of Christianity,” said Richard Thompson, the center’s president and chief counsel. “This unprincipled test allows judges to impose their ideological views under the pretext of constitutional interpretation.”

New York City has the nation’s largest public school system, with more than 1 million students enrolled in its 1,200 schools and programs.

“This should be a wake-up call for Christians across this nation,” Thompson said of the decision.

Hey Christian America, WAKE UP! I agree with Mr. Thompson, this should be a wake up call, but how many wake up calls must we scream to America? Sadly, I think they are awake, and fully aware of what is going on, but they choose to stand by and do nothing about it. They think, oh…some one else will make a stand on this. Or…What can I do?

You know what you can do? You can donate to some of these groups that are standing up for your rights in America.

The New York City schools’ policy states that the display of “secular holiday symbol decorations is permitted” and lists as examples the menorah and the star and crescent.

But the policy specifically excludes the display of the Christian Nativity scene.

The city argues the menorah and star and crescent are permissible symbols because they are “secular,” whereas the Nativity scene must be excluded because it is “purely religious.”

The majority, in fact, said the city’s argument was fallacious, stating that the policy “mischaracterizes” these symbols, but still upheld the ban on the Christian Nativity.

The court wrote, “No reasonable objective observer would perceive from the totality of the circumstances in this case that the purpose of the challenged display policy was, in fact, to communicate to city schoolchildren any official endorsement of Judaism and Islam or any dismissal of Christianity.”

The majority opinion concluded the “actual and perceived purpose of the holiday display policy was to use holiday celebrations to encourage respect for the city’s diverse cultural traditions.”

Straub argued the Nativity scene “depicts a historical event and thus, has some non-religious aspects to it.”

He contended the city’s “action in defining a menorah and star and crescent as secular, and a crèche as ‘purely religious,’ is impermissible insofar as it takes positions on divisive religious issues.”

Robert Muise, Thomas More’s attorney handling the case, called it a “shocking decision” that should outrage Christians.

“We strongly believe that the majority decision is fundamentally flawed, as pointed out by the dissent, and we intend to take this fight to the next level,” he said. “This battle is far from over.”

Muise, said he will ask the full 2nd Circuit to hear the case, and, failing that, will appeal it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Don’t stand by and watch the Courts take away your rights. Do something.

Donate and join some of these fine organizations standing up for your rights.

Thomas More Law Center
Liberty Counsel
ACLJ
Alliance Defense Fund

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Comments

4 Responses to “Appeals Court Bars Nativity, But OK’s Islamic and Jewish Symbols At NYC Schools”

Middle Class Guy on February 4th, 2006 11:39 am

So a cross is ok? This is an assault on the logic and sense of any intelligent person. Isn’t New York also the city that has a school just for gays?

I guess we have a new concept; diverse discrimination!
Marti on February 4th, 2006 2:05 pm

Thank God I live in a State that hates the ACLU and we have an Attorney General that sets them straight on a regular basis, they don’t get very far in South Carolina. Christian-God fearing Rednecks, that we are.

The ACLU has too much power elsewhere in the country and you can blame the elected officials for that.
Theway2k on February 4th, 2006 4:59 pm

There is a war in America to eliminate Christianity and Europeanize our culture. It is time for Christians to stand up politically and fight to preserve and enhance our rights. Forget separation of church and state, that concept in the 21st century is merely a tool to marginalize and eradicate the foundations of Christian faith in America.
Lug on February 5th, 2006 2:29 pm

This has got to be the best three part article I have ever read that exposes the evolution of the Democommie Party!!!:

THE SHADOW PARTY!!!

http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/readarticle.asp?ID=15392&#38;p=1