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Menorah Pulled from Coop Lobby [To Avoid Erecting a Nativity Scene]
Catholic League ^ | December 17, 2024 | Bill Donahue

Posted on 12/17/2024 2:43:59 PM PST by Angelino97

On December 12, we were contacted by a Catholic League member who sought to have a nativity scene displayed in the lobby of his cooperative building in Larchmont, New York, a town in Westchester.

The lobby has a Christmas tree and a menorah. His request was denied. When he was told that the nativity scene was a religious symbol and could not be displayed, he pointed out that the menorah was also a religious symbol. He was told they didn’t see it that way.

That same day, I wrote a letter to the Property Manager, sending a copy to the president of the board of directors and a Catholic League attorney. The letter was sent priority mail, UPS, and was delivered by 10:00 a.m. on December 13. To read it click here.

They were given until December 17 to answer, and we heard from their lawyers today. The board of directors of the Coop decided to pull the Christmas tree and the menorah from the lobby, thus making the charge of religious discrimination moot.

There are three ways they could have ruled on this issue: allow the nativity scene; pull the menorah; or keep the menorah and prohibit the nativity scene. The first two options are declarations of neutrality, treating the Christian and the Jewish symbols equally. The latter would have triggered a lawsuit.

I hasten to add that the two neutral decisions are not morally equal. To allow both religious symbols would be an expression of tolerance. To deny both is an expression of intolerance. They chose the intolerant route.

They would rather deny Jews their rights before extending equal rights to Christians. Telling.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: larchmont; menorah; newyork; westchester
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1 posted on 12/17/2024 2:43:59 PM PST by Angelino97
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To: Angelino97

Insanity.


2 posted on 12/17/2024 2:48:22 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Angelino97

Coops have lobbies? Must be big chickens.


3 posted on 12/17/2024 2:49:32 PM PST by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
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To: Angelino97
I am Catholic, but I don't get this. This isn't even a public building, it's a coop, right?

If somebody wants to put a menorah in their building, fine it doesn't mean every other religion needs to be represented. Just like if there was a Nativity scene in a building, it's not required to have a menorah.

It's one thing when Christianity is singled out for unfair treatment. But we don't have to become what the left was, or pretended to be.

4 posted on 12/17/2024 2:50:25 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: Angelino97

I’ll also point out that the biblical story of the origin of Chanukah, is in the Catholic Bible, but not the Jewish Bible. (I mean, there could be some small Jewish groups that recognize it, but not the major ones.)


5 posted on 12/17/2024 2:52:45 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: Angelino97

Well, I guess some people don’t look at it this way, but wasn’t the holy family, that being Yosef, Miriam and baby Yeshua, uh, Jewish?


6 posted on 12/17/2024 2:52:45 PM PST by john drake (Lucius Accius-Roman,170 BC - "oderint dum metuant" translated "Let them hate so long as they fear")
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To: nickcarraway
This isn't even a public building, it's a coop, right?

If somebody wants to put a menorah in their building, fine it doesn't mean every other religion needs to be represented.

I assume that a Christian homeowner within the co-op wanted to add his nativity scene to the menorah. And the HOA board denied his request.

Fair Housing laws forbid religious discrimination by landlords, co-op, condos, and HOAs.

If all co-op owners approved a "menorah only" lobby, that would have been legal. But in this case, a Christian homeowner felt excluded.

7 posted on 12/17/2024 3:08:32 PM PST by Angelino97
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To: Angelino97
Meh. Not everyone has to be like Democrats.

Are we going to go around add Muslim things to every building? What about satanist/.

8 posted on 12/17/2024 3:13:15 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: Larry Lucido
Coops have lobbies? Must be big chickens.

It only takes one.


9 posted on 12/17/2024 3:13:15 PM PST by Ezekiel (🆘️ "Come fly with US". 🔴 Ingenuity -- because the Son of David begins with MARS ♂️, aka every man)
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To: Angelino97

It’s never been about “inclusion.” It’s always been about creating an excuse to suppress Christianity.


10 posted on 12/17/2024 3:14:25 PM PST by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: nickcarraway
I’ll also point out that the biblical story of the origin of Chanukah, is in the Catholic Bible, but not the Jewish Bible.

True. The Catholic church recognizes 1 and 2 Maccabees as inspired. The Orthodox church recognizes 1, 2 and 3 Maccabees. Protestants and Jews do not.

Hannakuh was revived largely by American Jews, so their kids would have something to celebrate in December and not be drawn to Christmas (see A Kosher Christmas for more historical details).

11 posted on 12/17/2024 3:16:43 PM PST by Angelino97
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To: nickcarraway
Meh. Not everyone has to be like Democrats.

It's not "being like a Democrat" to belong to a co-op, to pay your monthly HOA dues, and then have the HOA discriminate against you.

12 posted on 12/17/2024 3:19:17 PM PST by Angelino97
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To: Angelino97
I can't say every single Protestant or Jewish group rejects these as inspired. There could always be some tiny outliers that do.

Yes, it was not considered a religiously significant holiday, and it was developed as a cultural thing. But, consider this: it also seems appropriate for a century in which the Jewish state was reestablished in the Levant. Isn't that true?

13 posted on 12/17/2024 3:20:22 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: Ezekiel

Apparently a coop lobbyist. Big chickens need better coops!


14 posted on 12/17/2024 3:26:23 PM PST by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
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*
co-op

noun informal (also coop, co op)


15 posted on 12/17/2024 3:27:07 PM PST by deks (Deo duce, ferro comitante · God for guide, sword for companion)
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To: Angelino97

So they had to get lawyers involved and get everybody’s Christmas cancelled and we wonder why no one puts up Christmas stuff. Someone will claim to being left out, contact lawyers and so its just not worth the hassle.


16 posted on 12/17/2024 3:28:31 PM PST by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: nickcarraway

They had to get lawyer’s involved so Christmas gets cancelled for everybody.


17 posted on 12/17/2024 3:29:17 PM PST by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: Larry Lucido

Not just better coops, but the whole town.

Go big or go home.

♫ O Little Town of BethleHEN ♪


18 posted on 12/17/2024 3:30:27 PM PST by Ezekiel (🆘️ "Come fly with US". 🔴 Ingenuity -- because the Son of David begins with MARS ♂️, aka every man)
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To: nickcarraway
Yes, it was not considered a religiously significant holiday, and it was developed as a cultural thing.

Well, Jesus observed it in his day. John 10:22. So there's that.

19 posted on 12/17/2024 3:39:58 PM PST by DSH
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To: packrat35
So they had to get lawyers involved and get everybody’s Christmas cancelled and we wonder why no one puts up Christmas stuff.

They didn't get Christmas canceled. Christmas wasn't represented. Only Hannukah.

All the HOA had to do was place a nativity beside the menorah. It wasn't asking much.

20 posted on 12/17/2024 3:41:41 PM PST by Angelino97
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