Posted on 02/09/2006 3:52:59 PM PST by newzjunkey
NEW YORK (AP) - A federal appeals court has upheld New York City's policy on school holiday displays, which allows symbols of Jewish and Muslim holidays but prohibits Christian nativity scenes. Santa Claus, reindeer and Christmas trees are permitted.
The 2-1 ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court judge, who said allowing secular symbols neither advanced nor inhibited religion.
The appeals court said no objective observer would believe the city wanted to communicate to its million-plus students "any official endorsement of Judaism and Islam or any dismissal of Christianity." Instead, the court said, the purpose was to use holidays to encourage respect for diverse cultural traditions.
Dissenting Judge Chester Straub objected that the policy "utilizes religious symbols of certain religions, but bans the religious symbols of another."
The original case was filed by Andrea Skoros, a Roman Catholic mother of two sons who attended public schools, who said the policy promotes Judaism and Islam while conveying disapproval of Christianity. Her purpose was not to bar Jewish and Muslim symbols but to have schools add Nativity scenes.
Skoros' lawyer plans to ask the full 2nd Circuit to review the case or, if that fails, to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
I'm shocked at the logic of this ruling and it is one of the 'bright line' rulings that tell us where our nation is at. I'm most definitely not one given to find 'Christian bashing' under every rock but the idea liberal adoration of multiculturalism justifies a violation of their own Separation of Church & State sacred cow reveals a bias specifically against Christian theology.
This case has to make it to SCOTUS. Where's the ACLU?
They simply hate whatever lies at the foundation of this great nation, and work hard to destroy it. Example #24363325
___This World, Performed by Caedmon's Call.
The Judges have spoken. Now it's time for the people to totally ignore their ruling, and the Executive branch to refuse to enforce it.
I'm beyond shocked. I'm appalled!
;the purpose was to use holidays to encourage respect for diverse cultural traditions.
Diversity defined as anything but Christian, anything but Straight, anything but White, and anything but American.
PC/Diveristy is the biggest collection of bigots ever assembled.
R.O.P.?
A Shiite Muslim worshipper flagellates himself in front of a banner
showing Imam Hussein 's head, to mark the Muslim festival of Ashoura,
outside the Imam Hussein shrine, Thursday in the holy city of Karbala,
50 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq. The festival of Ashoura commemorates
the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Muhammad at the Battle
of Karbala, Iraq, in the year A.D. 680.
A good case for the Roberts court to kill Lemon and take a major bite out of Everson.
The title should read, "Federal court allows schools' Jewish, Muslim, secural and pagan symbols......."
So now why bother with Christmas??? I mean its all about the birth of Jesus, right? You mean you can't now honor the person for whom the season is the reason????
This will be appealed, I'm sure and will not stand. This is how corrupt NY State has become.
I attended Public School in NYC in the 60s & 70s, in Manahttan. Well do I remember singing in the Chorus, led by a Jewish Teacher, and we sang The Hallelujah Chorus, amoung many other "religious" works. He always used "Silent Night" as an audition song, he said "Everyone knows it and the range is useful for this purpose". He was very good, he always strove to include more Old Testament themed Choral works (we had a largely Jewish student population), too bad he didn't have better singers to work with than us!
He also put up a GREAT (for Jr. High School) production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, an unjustly overlooked work by Andrew Lloyd Weber. You should have seen the kid he got to play the Pharoh/Elvis role, the biggest hoodlum in the school, and he was GREAT!
Guess this couldn't happen today....such a shame.
great band....especially "God of Wonders"
"Instead, the court said, the purpose was to use holidays to encourage respect for diverse cultural traditions"
More social engineering from the courts. Maybe I don't want my children to have respect for a cultural tradition that enslaves Christians, degrades woman, encourages suicided bombings and is dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Either it is ok to have religious symbols or it is not. Questions of cultural diversity have nothing to do with the isse.
Interestingly the lone dissenting judge Chester Straub was appointed by Clinton whereas the author of the courts' opinion judge Reena Raggi was appointed by George W. Bush (and before that she was appointed district court judge by Reagan).
Plus judge Straub, although beeing Clinton appointee, is on the right side not for the first time.
They're right where they want to be.
Anti Christian Lawyers Union
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