New York Village Would Rather Remove 9-Foot Menorah than Allow Nativity Scene

Life Site News ^ | 12.19.06 | JORGE FITZ-GIBBON

[Coleus]

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y., December 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Village of Briarcliff Manor officials have decided to remove their entire holiday display, including a 9-foot-tall menorah, from a public park rather than allow a resident to add a crèche after Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys won a temporary restraining order Friday from a federal judge. The lawsuit and TRO motion were filed Dec. 11 after the Briarcliff Manor Village's Board of Trustees refused to permit the display.

"The village's constitutional violations regarding religious expression in public make them look like the grinches who stole Christmas and Chanukah from the citizens of Briarcliff Manor," said ADF-allied attorney John Stepanovich. "It is truly sad that officials have chosen not only to thumb their noses at religion but at the justice system as well, since our client's request of equal access for a privately-funded crèche in addition to the menorah was entirely constitutional."

In place of where the holiday display once stood, village officials displayed a sign criticizing U.S. District Judge William C. Conner's decision to grant the temporary restraining order. The federal court judge's decision forced officials to either remove the menorah or grant resident Henry Ritell's request to display a nativity scene alongside it.

The sign read, "The Village erected a menorah and Christmas tree display in a spirit of inclusion. In response to a federal court order the entire display has been removed. We disagree with the court." Following outcry from the public, village officials removed the sign.

[familyop]

It's just awful! And look at the song the local radio station keeps playing between church production advertisements!

---

Dead, Dead, Dead Lyrics
Artist(Band):South Park


Dead, Dead, Dead Lyrics

Dead, Dead, Dead, someday you'll be dead
Dead, Dead, Dead, someday we'll all be dead.
The minute we're born, we start dying,
We die a little more every day..
Young or old, rich or poor,
There's nothing we can do to stop it..
So look long at that Christmas tree,
It may be the last one that you see..
Decorate your house in green and red,
'cos someday you'll be dead..

Dead, Dead, Dead, someday you'll be dead
Dead, Dead, Dead, someday we'll all be dead.
It might happen in a couple months
Or 50 years from now..
But no matter when it happens
It will seem too soon to you..
So be sure on Christmas eve
When you snuggle into bed..
That you thank God for your family
'cos someday they'll be dead..

Dead, Dead, Dead, someday you'll be dead
Dead, Dead, Dead, someday we'll all be dead.
Who knows how many Christmas's
Are left in their short lives?
Nobody knows, that my point!
Enjoy them while you can.
And so on Christmas morning
Let good tidings fill your head..
What a festive season,
Someday you'll be dead

Dead, Dead, Dead, someday you'll be dead
Dead, Dead, Dead, everyone you know, dead.
A very Merry Christmas to you!
Dead, Dead, Dead..
Merry Christmas Everybody!

[rmlew]

It is ironic that the only gentile to get it so far is named after a Hellene.

Then again how many people have read the Book of the Maccabees these days much less Histories.

[muawiyah]

Yeah, how would any Rabbi know what he said without checking first with Free Republic (Bwahahahahahahah~~!!!!)

(NOTE: Everybody who closely followed the entire story knows that there was a lawyer in the chain of causality. The Sea-Tac airport commissioners are also remarkably stupid people easy to kick around as we found out later when we kicked them around.)

[dr_who_2]

Answer my question.

[SJackson]

What else is there? Gelt looks like an ethnic joke, and latkes are not so good.

A battle display, a big Judah Maccabee slaughtering the Syrians. A big GI Joe type thing. We could use more war holidays.

[Coleus]

You're not serious are you? >>

Stop playing word games, you're boring me.

[NCC-1701]

I don't know the answer to that. However, I provide, you decide.

[SJackson]

(NOTE: Everybody who closely followed the entire story knows that there was a lawyer in the chain of causality. The Sea-Tac airport commissioners are also remarkably stupid people easy to kick around as we found out later when we kicked them around.)

I think the Sea-Tac people got exactly what they wanted, a purely secular display. Ratified by the press.

[muawiyah]

I'm not playing word games with you. You are asking me questions where the fundamental assumption is that only one religion can even be called a religion.

I assure you we are in a world filled with religions of all sorts ~ and that's how I was answering your questions.

[Coleus]

coming from a guy who responds to a thread about a creche and doesn't know what a creche is. I think I'm done writing to you.

[IamHD]

I am sick of it all, too. I say we totally remove the the # 25 from December. That's right, jump to 24th, 26th, etc. Just think...no more Federal holiday for anybody. No Christmas bonuses. Then we take the 25 that was removed and give it to the month of February where it will forever have 29 days. Those that were born during leap year will always have a real birthday. :)

[Dov in Houston]

Well put Andy,

As I left Wal Mart today the cashier said "Merry Christmas" and I replied "Happy Hanukkah, and a Merry Christmas to you" to which she replied "Happy Hanukkah"

On December 24 and 25, I shall volunteer to work so my Christian friends can be with their families. As a yid I observe Hanukkah, as an American I understand and enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

This crap being fought out in the courts over seperation of church and state is meaningless. Unless you are profiting as a member of the ACLU

To all of you out there. Hanukkah is half over/half left. Christmas is approaching. May you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[dr_who_2]

Works for me. Seeya.

[muawiyah]

That point was made on the first thread in the first 100 posts. No doubt a majority (or near majority) of the Sea-Tac board wanted no seasonal celebrations of any kind ~ a typical ACLU dominated position.

Definitely the last thing they had in mind allowing in the airport was a Lubovitcher sponsored Menorah.

[familyop]

We can always soothe ourselves, though, with uber cute nativity scenes like those in the following thread, though (scroll down).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1756408/posts

[Oops. Posted that to the wrong thread first.]

[Coleus]

If the a-holes who don't want to let him put down his crèche (whatever that is), >>>

 

LOL, why on earth are you responding to a thread about a creche if you don't even know what you are talking about??  Thanks for the laugh...

 

this is a crèche:

 

 

Creche Stock Images and Photos. 197 Creche photography pictures

Creche Nativity - More Categories - Compare Prices, Reviews

[Clemenza]

JAPpaqua and Briarcliff have changed. To find a WASP, you need to go down to Rye, or cross the border to Darien or New Canaan.

[Coleus]

then you had an answer for post #28 you should have answered it instead of playing games. Obviously, you don't have a straight answer. I have a computer mouse next to me and I'm sure some group of a particular religion thinks it symbolizes their god. We are filled with so many religons in this big world.

[familyop]

"coming from a guy who responds to a thread about a creche and doesn't know what a creche is. I think I'm done writing to you."

---

Creche \Cr[`e]che\ (kr[asl]sh), n. [F.] 1. A public nursery, where the young children of poor women are cared for during the day, while their mothers are at work. [1913 Webster]

---

[SJackson]

Though I suppose it's none of my business, those are the kinds I'd hate to see. And perhaps the price of public displays. As I've occasionally noted, personally, I'm fine with observance, including displays, at home, or at Synagogue or Church, or on private property. Avoids the appearance of a Holiday Arguement Season. But it's not up to me, and they should be allowed in the public square. All of them, which includes the Crescent and the KKK when they can convince a judge they're a religion.