Eighty-five percent of Americans claim some form of religious affiliation. The public display of religious symbols, though, is always controversial, whether we’re talking about the Ten Commandments in a courthouse or nativity scenes in a park. In the ongoing debate about religious imagery’s proper place, where do we draw the line between private faith and public religious expression?
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Crosses, Nativity Scenes, and Menorahs
- From William Martin PhD
By William Martin, Ph.D. - Baker Institute, Rice University
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Mixing religious symbols doesn't make it better
This concept that it's perfectly okay to put a manger scene on the courthouse lawn, so long as you toss in a menorah, a star and crescent, and a santa for good measure, is silly. Not only is it confusing and bizarre, as pointed out in the comment above, but also it still violates the establishment clause. Governmental endorsement of a variety-pak of religions is still government endorsement of religion. It is still using public funds to pay for what amounts to "religious advertising." The fact that the government is giving prime-time billing to Christianity plus a nod to Jews and another nod to Muslims does not excuse a thing.
Thomas Jefferson's cautionary letters about separation of church and state were not addressed solely to states which endorsed a single religion. They were also addressed to states which had given official support and endorsement to several religions.
Beyond the fact that it would be impossible to fully include every possible religion, in an attempt to "make it fair," there is also the fact that many religions and ideologies (such as atheism) stand in direct contradiction to one another (as has been at issue with the atheist organization's sign in the Christmas display). Any "peaceful co-display" of the emblems or symbols of such conflicting ideologies is likely to quickly become a shouting match.
The government (our representatives, spending our funds) simply has no place in the middle of such disagreements. The only way to keep the government OUT of the middle of such philosophical head-butting is to have the government keep its hands clean from any involvement in the first place.
If Christians wish to display Christmas decorations and manger scenes, they should do so on private property, not at the public's expense. If Jewish people wish to display menorahs, again, do so at home or on the synagogue's property. And so forth...
- Babaroni
December 19, 2008 12:14AM
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