Posted on 12/23/2007 4:58:07 AM PST by Nextrush
In Christmases past, residents of Kingston House in West York hung a tree with Santa Clauses and decorated a common room with puzzles showing Christ in a manger.
School groups and carolers came through the halls singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and other popular Christian hymns.
But things are different this December. At Kingston House and other properties owned by the York Area Development Corporation, songs or decorations in common areas must be secular.
The same policy applies to hundreds of tenants in York City's Delphia House and other apartments managed by the development corporation. No stars or angels, menorahs or references to Christ are allowed, unless residents want to decorate their own doors or apartments.
The development corporation is one of numerous organizations restricting religious displays for fear of excluding residents or violating fair housing laws administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides much of its funding......
Penny Myers, executive director of the development corporation, declined to comment on the new rules.....
The Fair Housing Institute Inc., a consulting company based in Norcross, Ga., tells housing providers to avoid potential fines and lawsuits by keeping common areas "religiously neutral."......
....HUD issued a statement saying it did not endorse such prohibitions.
"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development continues to strongly support and respect display of all religious symbols on properties receiving HUD assistance," said the statement. "We discourage anyone from interfering in the free exercise of religion and prohibiting residents from celebrating the joys of the season."....
Now that religious displays have been restricted, (Barry) Shuler said he's considering his own court challenge.
"They're infringing on my constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and I feel they need to be brought to task." Shuler said.
Because his name is similar to ‘Grinch’.
“Religiously Neutral” means “Censorship of Religion”
congress doesn't have to. a thousand private and pseudo-private institutions will.
I should just acquiesce and use the term "NGO" in its true meaning.
can and do make rules that congress is forbidden to.
Pardon that I didn't distinguish between such rules and "laws." It will be noted that, often, the former are more effective than the latter.
Merry Christmas.
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