Letter of the Law
Santa Monica can’t catch a break. Remember how that town decided to not have any holiday displays on public land to avoid hard feelings and lawsuits? Well, their local Christian groups want to see just how far they can push the issue. Sure, they were told no nativity displays with mannequins… but the judge didn’t tell them no “living displays”!
Local Christian pastors and the Washington DC based groups Christian Defense Coalition and Faith and Action are pushing the “living display” as an attempt to skirt the law and pervert the decision already handed down by both their local and federal courts. Reverend Patrick J. Mahoney is the Director of the Christian Defense Coalition (No bias there). He wanted to tug at your heart strings a bit saying,
Sadly, we are seeing an erosion of expressions of faith in the public square. This is especially true during the Christmas Season. We must be constantly reminded that the Constitution promises freedom ‘of’ religion not freedom ‘from’ religion.
After nearly 60 continuous years, it is critical that a Nativity Scene remain in Palisades Park. We must continue to fight for religious freedom and the First Amendment as well as embracing the powerful message of Christmas which is; ‘Peace on Earth. Goodwill toward man.’
We believe that this ‘Live Nativity Display’ meets all the requirements of the Santa Monica City Council and the Federal Court.
Jeff White is a Youth Pastor at Lake Gregory Community Church. he wanted to add his two cents by saying,
As a youth pastor, I often teach the importance of religious freedom and the need to see those freedoms are protected. By setting up this ‘Live Nativity Display’ in Palisades Park, we ensure for future generations the right for everyone to express their faith traditions in the public square free from government intimidation or harassment.
These people scheduled a news conference for November 29th at 2pm PST. The best thing that could happen is no news crew show up at all. Here’s for hoping.
No matter how you feel about this issue, we can all agree that these displays are always allowed on private property. Residences and church grounds are bountiful in every city and town. Personally, I feel these groups just want to show the power they have over the government by doing what they know – while tolerated in the past – was never legal.
Hooray Vaccines!
Down in Aussie-land, there lives a divorced woman that only eats “organic foods”, uses non toxic cleaners, and gives her daughter “homeopathic vaccines”. Turns out the kid came down with whooping cough at 5 years old. Her father and step-mother didn’t want their new child to contract whooping cough or any other preventable ailment. Soon after, the step-mom took the kid – with her father’s permission – to the doctor and immunised against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, polio, HIB, measles, mumps, rubella and meningococcal C.
I am not sure who brought this before a judge, but after Justice Bennett heard testimony from a homeopath and a real doctor, the court sided with the father and the evidence. In the decision, Justice Bennett said,
It appears to me that the efficacy of homeopathic vaccines in preventing infectious diseases has not been adequately scientifically demonstrated.
While not a complete smack down, it is great to see the judge stick with the evidence. The child is supposed to get her scheduled vaccines, but the mother is appealing, so anything can happen.
For the safety of the world, I would like to see vaccines be free and manditory. Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is on the rise because of parents that think homeopathy will help or that vaccines – and the companies that make them – are evil. I always point people over to the 1023 Campaign site for easy to understand information on the dangers of homeopathy.
~Wesley