The multicolored nativity scene on the Samona family's
front yard is under attack.
The Samonas' neighborhood association has ordered
the Novi family to remove its seven-piece plastic display or face possible fines
of $25 to $100 per week.
The family isn't budging and neither are its three wise
men. The Samonas have vowed not only to keep the display, but also are
threatening to enhance it."If you take this out, it's not Christmas anymore,"
said Joe Samona..."
Please remove your nativity scene? That's the part that
disturbs us. We have the lion (statue) and the Santa and Mrs. Claus and they
specifically point out the nativity scene? That's ridiculous. We refuse to take
it down," he said.
Already this year, religious groups have taken aim at
retail giants such as Wal-Mart and Target for replacing Christmas with fuzzier
"holiday" greetings, to say nothing of the annual battles over local governments
building nativity scenes in the public square.
One Christian group, the American Family Association,
launched a Thanksgiving-weekend boycott of Target because it said the chain had
banished the word "Christmas" from its advertising and store displays. Now it's
drawing up a naughty-and-nice list of retailers and their policies on mentioning
Christmas to customers.
It's part of a big picture to de-Christianize America
and secularize it as much as possible," Sharp said. "People are more aware that
the retail industry is trying to do away with Christmas. If they were trying to
make their customers happy, they'd use the word 'Christmas.' I think that's
pretty obvious."
"It seems, in the past few years, people have noticed
how much Christmas has become so secular and they're reacting to that, and we're
seeing more and more people making a point to ask that stores mention
Christmas," said Kiera McCaffrey, a spokeswoman for the Catholic
League.
Sheryl Walsh, community relations manager for Novi,
said the city does not have a local ordinance against holiday decorations and
has not received a complaint about a homeowner's nativity scene display in the
last decade.
"We are a multicultural community and we afford everyone the
opportunity to celebrate the holidays," Walsh said.
I say they should keep it up in their yard, and fight it till the end! If a neighbor takes offense at a plastic Jesus, then he can look away. It's more offensive that he is trying to prohibit Christians from celebrating the holiday.
6 comments:
wow, that's sad... it makes me want to run downstairs and get our nativity scene ready to go outside right NOW!! except it's FREEZING outside LOL. I'll wait for my husband to do it I guess :-)
I heard on the radio this morning that the home owners association has already sent an apology letter and told them that they can keep the nativity scene up. Apparently the “offensive” rule in their neighborhood guidelines has a religious exemption which was conveniently overlooked.
Stuff like this makes a person really question where they should buy a house. Why would you move to an area that has the right to tell you what you can put on your own property?
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051130/LIFESTYLE04/511300434
As for the homeowners with the nativity scene...they absolutely have every right to decorate their property for Christmas as they wish. As for national chains like Wal-mart and Target, the use of the word "holiday" rather than "Christmas" (IMO) is a way of being inclusive of all of their customers, not just Christians. At this time of year, we are not just celebrating Christmas...there's Hannukah, Quanza, the Winter Solstice, and Yule (just to name a few). What if they decided to use the word Hannukah...wouldn't you feel a bit left out, or even outraged that your holiday was being overlooked? We live in America, the most diverse country in the world, so to claim that by not using the word "Christmas" we're "de-christianizing America" is ridiculous...America is not a Christian country! It's Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Buddist, and on and on. I think we just need to respect others beliefs and not take the inclusiveness of using the word "Holidays" as an attack on Christianity.
Yea, while I like being told "Merry Christmas", I am not offended if somone at a store says Happy Holidays. Especially where we live- there are tons of Muslims. Even when I say it to others, I prefer Happy Holidays (unless I know they celebrate Christmas).
The Holiday Season is more than one day, anyway. Christmas, New Years, the ones Kim mentioned. I almost think that's just LOOKIING for something to complain about.
I'd only be upset if the store employees were told they were not allowed to say Merry Christmas- that they could ONLY say Happy Holidays.
Wow...scary story. Was a reason given for taking down the Navitity scence AT ALL? Too much lighting? ANYthing?
And I respectfully disagree with the third comment. I am a strong advocate of religious freedom because it is only through a free will that we can find Truth (THE Truth). I firmly believe EVERY religious holiday should be honored and that "Happy Holidays" is not offensive. However, denying use of the word "Christmas" because we are afraid of offending someone else is ludicrous. Justice is not disrespecting the majority to somehow better include the minority...I say "somehow better" because you don't see Happy Hannukuh lighting in windows, etc. A refusal to recognize differences is NOT more inclusive. It underappreciates the diversity in which God chooses to reveal Himself to us.
And if you think about it, shouldn't we hope everyone has a merry Christmas day? EVERYDAY should be good for EVERYONE!
This is a matter of the human spirit's ability to see the good in the holiday - how Christmas is about the Incarnation of ALL humanity's Savior.
And another thing, why deny Christmas? Dec 25 will be here whether you're Christian or not!
A very sad commentary on our times....I could see outrage if the people had a display of naked northern-dwelling animals on their lawn....oh yeah, those would be reindeer...still,if we can have freedom of expression protections for the likes of pornographer, no sense in getting your "holiday" boxers in a knot over the Holy Family on the yard.
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