It is a holiday protocol predicament. A town in Florida placed a Jewish Menorah in the center of its public forum, forcing the Christian Nativity scene to one side.
While to some the question would be moot or just a matter of decorative taste, according to Sondra Snowdon, a self-described Christian activist, it is a clear case of religious discrimination.
Snowdon, who claims to have received numerous death threats, made news in recent years for taking Bay Harbor Islands, Florida to court to allow a Nativity scene at Christmas. Now, Snowdon says, the town isn’t complying with a Federal court order and she is “calling on all Christians to respond to the outrage of unfairness in regards to the town giving religious preference to Judaism and the Menorah over her Christian Nativity.”
Snowdon pays for the Nativity scene out of her own pocket, and is represented by the Thomas More Law Center. On the other hand, the town pays for the Menorah, says Snowdon, claiming that “a Jewish resident in Bay Harbor applied to the town to sponsor the Menorah and was refused. The town stated that, ‘they would be the sponsor of the Menorah as part of their holiday display.’” Town officials have argued that the Menorah was a secular symbol and a decoration, not a religious symbol.
Amongst other things, Snowdon alleges the former Mayor called her an ‘anti-Semitic bitch’ and tried to have her evicted from her apartment, as well as telling the local synagogue that they had to warn all Holocaust victims that there was an ‘anti-Semite’ living in Bay Harbor Islands.
Snowdon says Bay Harbor Islands decided Nov. 27 to place “the town Menorah in the center position at the town’s designated public forum and proclaimed that the placement of the Nativity would have to be placed ‘off to the side.’”
Now Snowdon is claiming that the position of the Menorah over the placement of the Nativity scene in the center of ring is in violation of the Federal judgement that “all faiths are equal” in the designated public forum.
While that judgement allows Snowdon to display her Nativity scene for 10 years in the town’s public forum, it would seem the ruling didn’t stipulate how the various displays should be placed in the center of the forum – stacking one upon the other not being an option.
According to Snowdon, the Town Council also passed an ordinance to govern the newly formed designated public forum. Snowdon says the ordinance allows her to be both fined and arrested if she attempts to have any ceremonies affiliated with the Nativity display.
“For the past five years, those of Jewish faith could visit the Menorah and pray with the Rabbi and light candles each night of Hanukah. However, when Christians wanted a small prayer service, they passed a new town ordinance that no one was allowed to visit the displays,” claims Snowdon.
Snowdon adds that “the town’s lampposts have gone dark within the Business District due to the town refusing to add Christian decorations with their eight-foot decorative Menorahs and eight-foot Stars of David’s that hung in years past. Now, they claim separation of Church and State while still sponsoring a Menorah in the designated public forum.”
The court ruled that if any decorations go on the lampposts then Nativity decorations be added on 6 lampposts.
“I will not allow Jesus to take a back seat or be hidden away,†Snowdon says, adding “My Jesus will not be seated on the back of the bus.â€ÂÂ
It has been reported that the legal battle has cost the town $350,000. That is money that could have been spent more wisely – such as buying another plot of land so that the religious holiday celebrations could be segregated to avoid offending both the hypersensitive and decoratively challenged.
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Robert Duncan is a journalist and ombudsman for foreign press in Spain. He is a board member and honorary vice-president for the Organización de Periodismo y Comunicación Ibero-Americana. Robert was the bureau chief for an international news agency in Madrid for many years, and was published regularly in Dow Jones Newswires, with articles appearing in The Wall Street Journal.
He has also been published in World Catholic News, National Catholic Register, Renew America, Lifesite.net, as well as Capital Hill Coffee House, Common Conservative, The Conservative Voice, Enter Stage Right, News By Us, Conservative Crusader, World Net Daily, Mens News Daily and others.
He is News Editor for Spero News, blogs at Pelican Press, and maintains the Santificarnos website.
