A coalition of atheist and humanist groups have booked out all the exhibition space in a US city to erect secular displays in the place of traditional Christian nativity scenes.
The city of Lincoln in Nebraska will have a different take on Christmas this year when instead of Christian nativity scenes in public exhibition spaces in the Nebraska State Capitol building there will be a “reason tree celebrating the achievements of reason and logic and science and a 8 foot high happy humanist instead of a Santa or wise man".
The groups, which include Lincoln Atheists and Omaha Atheists, are calling the event “Reason this Season” and said the displays would be up from December 19 to the 26, the peak period for traditional nativity scenes.
“Our message is that it’s a secular government and religion has to stay separate from that. And it’s meant to communicate that atheists are not bad people – we can be good without God,” Lincoln Atheists member Chris Clements told the Guardian US.
Also on display will be a table with a miniature church, mosque and models from other religions including Judaism, and Buddhism.
The Christian group that normally organises the Nativity Scene in the Capitol building have already complained about being left out.
"They have proved our point that all speech is welcome, except Christian," Martin Cannon from the Thomas More Society told the Lincoln Journal Star.
"We would have shared our space with them, but they are not willing to do the same.”
Mr Clements told the paper that this was untrue.
"We needed as much space as we could for all the groups that are interested."
Share
