Green Bay Nativity Scene To Stay

No Other Religious Displays Until Rules Are Established

Associated Press..Katie DeLong

GREEN BAY - A nativity scene can remain in place at City Hall until Dec. 26 under a measure in which Mayor Jim Schmitt cast the deciding vote to break a 6-6 City Council tie.

But the measure adopted Tuesday night places a moratorium on any other religious display until the City Council and mayor can develop a set of guidelines.

The move came after 27 members of the public spoke, with some praising the putting up of the nativity scene and others condemning the exclusion of other faiths and nonbelievers.

"This is crazy," said Tim Entringer of Green Bay. "It's Christmas. I'm sad in my heart. There is only one God, and you've got to keep him up. The only way to get to God is through Jesus. It's the true religion. You have to do it."

But Mike Layden of Green Bay said: "If I were a Hindu -- and I'm not -- and I had to pay my water bill and walk under that overhang, I'd be terribly insulted. ... I'd say, 'Did I make a mistake in coming here? Does this country still respect the sanctity of the Constitution?"'

Sean Ryan of suburban Allouez, who asked last weekend to display a Festivus pole at City Hall patterned after one in an episode of the old "Seinfeld" television show, told the council he did it as a joke, meant to point out that religious displays don't belong at City Hall.

Ryan took exception to statements made by others that the nativity scene was historical, not merely religious.

"I'm a Christian -- don't tell me it's not my religion," Ryan said.

Gerald Frisque of Green Bay said neither the mayor nor council is qualified to determine which religions should be given display space, and he criticized both for dividing the city.

City Council president Chad Fradette last week took to the city's Advisory Committee, which he chairs, his plan to install the nativity scene on the roof of City Hall's northwest entrance. The committee approved the move 4-1.

A Wiccan display with a white five-pointed star encircled by a wreath was installed Friday, but someone took down it down early Monday and it was found in nearby shrubs.

The mayor declared a moratorium on additional displays and any replacement to the Wiccan display until the council can decide on a policy. Schmitt said several people were making a mockery of the display by suggesting pop culture symbols such as the Festivus pole.

Green Bay Nativity Scene To Stay | Today's TMJ4 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin News, Weather, Sports, WTMJ | Local News

How long must this insanity continue? We read about this type of thing every year. What to do?..I wish I could remember the name of the town but it was someplace in the Midwest. They decided on an excellent compromise..they dedicated a piece of public land for "religious memorials". No more court house displays,everything had to be displayed in the religious memorial park.

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

That is such a perfect solution.

Why haven't others done this same thing? It should be the example set for the rest of the nation.

Others haven't because a simple thing...tradition...

If there was a courthouse display started in 1992, removing it would be no big deal...

But if it was a local tradition dating back 90 years, and local citizens spent their whole lives admiring the display and considered it a part of the community, then it's harder for them to deal with the abrupt stop because Mister Mecklestein, Mister Al Fahd, and the president of the local chapter of Athiests-R-Us started whining like little schoolgirls...

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Agreed..if the town was incorporated in the past 10-15 years,or displays have been recently added,this type of compromise has a much better chance of success.

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

I just hate the idea that, as a nation, we want to continue to do things which we KNOW are wrong, merely because we've been doing them for a long time.

I have no problem with nativity displays. And as for the comment about the Hindu, Hindus believe if you are a Christian and you try to be agood Christian, then you are already a good Hindu. (Follow your path and all that stuff ).
But the park thing is a good idea.

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I wish I could remember the name of the town but it was someplace in the Midwest. They decided on an excellent compromise..they dedicated a piece of public land for "religious memorials". No more court house displays,everything had to be displayed in the religious memorial park.

That's a great solution.

And it's really amazing that the city has decided on Christian exclusivity.
(Am I somehow misreading that?)

If you're going to allow one religious holiday display, then you have to allow others.
The whole "tradition" thing is just a thinly veiled way of saying "We Christians have put up this display for a while, and since we won't allow you to put up your display our "tradition" will be exclusive".

Using "tradition" as a reason while effectively forbidding others to establish other traditions is downright repugnant.

The town I'm referring to built a religious memorial park that included every religion! I remember they even approved a Totem pole that some local Indians requested.

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

So the nativity scene can stay in Green Bay. But Brett Favre can't play the baby Jesus.

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Talking about music is like dancing about architecture

It's a rare thing when my home town makes national news (that isn't on the sports page). I'm not a Christian, but I really don't care if they want to put up a manger scene. This is a far cry from enforcing a state religion, which the "freedom from religion" people are all up in arms about.

What is the big deal here? No one over the age of 9 believes in Santa Claus, but we have HIS image plastered all over everything at this time of year, pretty much for the same reasons! Where is the outcry about THAT?

I think the "freedom from religion" folks really just need a glass of egg nog and a hug.