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"The States and local communities are obligated, just as much as the Federal Government, to recognize those rights given to us by our Creator. Freedom of conscience is foremost among those rights."

I don't know of any God given rights that are interfered with by having a display of the manger scene on the grounds of the local municipal building (as an example). If you can provide the rights that are interfered with, I'd love to hear it. I cannot find "Freedom of Conscience" in my U.S. Constitution. Many times these manger scenes were donated a long time ago by some religious group. I'm sure that if there was a problem with local government workers putting it up, you could get many volunteers to do it. If the community standards are such that they approve of this, why should the rest of us complain? Even if the community standards were that they were willing (as a community) to pay their tax dollars to maintain this display, why should the rest of us care?

This is why the federal government should be limited in scope because we are all paying for it. Quite frankly, I really don't care that Massachuesettes (sp?) has socialized health care. If that's what their state wants, I'm okay with it. If it is a failure (as I think it will be), people will leave the state and it will collapse upon itself. This is the essence of federalism.

I'll give you another example from our founders. Many states, had active militias. Some states, like Pennsylvania did not. Pa did not because of their strong anti war Quaker sensibilities. Because of that, they had problems in defending themselves and their communities from Indian attacks. That's the decision that the residents of Pennsylvania made.

No, you will not find the phrase “freedom of conscience” in the U.S. Constitution; you will perhaps become familiar with the phrase if you read the Federalist Papers or the writings of our founders. Please avail yourself of the opportunity to learn what our founders meant by the phrase.

Should a non Muslim in Deerborne Michigan be made to feel as if the government is a Muslim institution that recognizes Muslim holidays, but not their religion?

If you were going to court as a non-Muslim, testifying against a Muslim, and the Court had a display of the Quran on the front of it; would you think that the court was perhaps stacked against you?

Do you really think that among the limited and enumerated powers of the government, that putting up sectarian religious displays is among them? Do you feel that recognition of the majority religion of the local community is the proper role of government?