A lawsuit against Green Bay, the mayor and the City Council president is in the mail and should be filed in federal court by Wednesday morning.

The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation and 12 Green Bay residents are plaintiffs in the suit to be filed against Green Bay, City Council President Chad Fradette and Mayor Jim Schmitt over the nativity scene the city placed at the entrance of City Hall.

It is being filed in the Eastern District of U.S. Federal Court in Madison, said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the foundation.

The other plaintiffs: Gail and Wayne Vann, James and Jill White, Jeffrey Fondrliak, Michael Maternowski, Angie Moon, Robert Howe and Amy Wolf, all of whom are identified as Green Bay residents who oppose government sponsorship of religion.

Also listed: Taku Ronsman, identified as a Unitarian Universalist, Wendy Corriel, identified as an agnostic and Michael Bergman, identified as a Buddhist, who all tried to get symbols installed on the roof along with the nativity scene.

Fondrliak ran as a write-in candidate for mayor in the last election and is a candidate for City Council this spring for the seat now held by Gary Kriescher, who had voted against the display.

The complaint says Fradette placed the nativity scene, with Schmitt's permission, "to send a message of endorsement of religion" and "to convey a message that persons who object to the public display of religious symbols are political outsiders."

More of the article here: Link

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Insane that this day and age lawsuits like this are still needed to fight against the American Taliban just so they'll respect the constitution. FFRF does a lot of great work and this is just another example.

“There is no such source and cause of strife, quarrel, fights, malignant opposition, persecution, and war, and all evil in the state as religion. Let it once enter our civil affairs, our government would soon be destroyed. Let it once enter our common schools, they would be destroyed . . . Those who made our Constitution saw this, and used the most apt and comprehensive language in it to prevent such a catastrophe.”
-- Justice H.S. Orton of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, concurring opinion in Weiss v. the District Board, decided on March 18, 1890, ruling bible readings and devotionals in public schools unconstitutional

Friv.. very friv. Yeah I know.. seperation of church and state. But really, there's got to be a limit as to how much insanity this society can do. It's a nativity scene ffs, not some kind of gorey statue. We're becoming to overly sensitive to such things.. really.

But there is a flip side...

With the founding and history of the mythology, it may as well be a gorey statue.

That's not as much of a point as letting religions force their way into the public where they don't belong for the sake of seperation of church and state. I mean, come on... Today it's symbols of faith plastered on public and governemnt property and tomarrow it'll be strapping homosexuals down to execute them for god and glory. An over exaggeration (hopefully at least ) but faith and government have never been great together.

I don't know we have so many atheists, agnostics & pagans here in Germany and they aren't fussing over stuff like this. They are really into christmas and accept all the symbolism.

I guess they feel strong in numbers & don't feel threatened by religion over here. It has no big influence in their lives.

Some still even pay a tax to the church.

You just feel no pressure & discrimination over here like in parts of the US.

I dont see the problem. We have a nativity scene near our city center. No one is fussing over that.

Its the birth of a freaking child, no one preaching against you or against your beliefs, please grow a pair, your giving atheists a bad name.

tax to the church ?? why ??

why is it discrimination to want the seperation of government and religion? How about instead of christianity we install this on the lawn of a government building ?



or



how about if one goes up they all have to go up ? every religion practiced here in America ? since our government is supposed to represent ALL of us.

I see it as art & part of our historical culture. It is part of our european culture heritage. It's our history.

Christianity isn't squeaky clean but it hasn't been all negative either.

Always look at both sides of the coin.

I must have not understood the article then because I didn't catch anything about government buildings & stuff. I'll read it again carefully.

Yes, if here you were born catholic or protestant you pay a church -tax.It's on your birth certificate. But can sign a waiver & refuse once you start paying taxes

Maybe next year they can put up some Pagan themes, Jewish themes, and who ever else has a holiday. Maybe we could put up some holiday stuff at the main Islamic holidays. Gee there are so many religions in the US you could have different holiday decoration every month of year. If you put of something for one group you have to do it for everybody. I notice the city of Cape Coral Fl. had a nativity out as well as a menorah. Next year maybe we Pagans can hit them up for a big solstice sun, if we make it for them. That would be fun.


My tax money to a Church! They will have to shoot me first. Oh ya, Bush set it up so we are paying taxes to churches through his faith based bull. Non-Christian organizations don't see a dime of that money.

Ok. I read it >OOPS>entrance of city hall.< Not so good>unfair to others-it screams >seperation of church and state NOT

Sorry


I'm too poor to pay attention after X-mas

that burns my biscuits - yet he vetos' monies for low income housing and health.

lovely christian he is ---

People are anal b******* who are always going to find something to complain about.

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

They said that a legit faith can put their stuff up as well. Up there currently last time I checked is the Wiccan star and some peace symbol group with the nativity. They think if they let anybody throw their stuff up they can just ignore seperation of church and state.

God, some people really don't have anything else to worry about.. or to do with their time.




Annie Laurie Gaylor

You know, I really wish I had her 'problems...' if this is all she can worry about ,

Just another fame head trying to make a name for herself in the United States of Celebrity Wannbie.

She has appeared on numerous talk shows, including Sally Jessy Raphael and Donahue. Ms. Gaylor is a vocal feminist and was on her first feminist picket line at age 14. She is the co-chair of the Feminist Caucus of the American Humanist Association.

link

Some people should grow up !!

yes like those who think thier beliefs should be linked to government or law making.

More drivel and childish left leaning whiners. Please, separation of church and state is simply a way of guaranteeing that no one is FORCED to worship, or forced to believe. Who cares if a nativity scene is displayed on public property, or a star of David, or full-on pagan wreath with all the associated trimmings. Should we ban having lilies and tulips planted as landscaping around public property? Please, it's just stupid.

i agree...a nativity display does not make/force anyone to go to church....a wicca star doesn't make anyone join their local coven...the courthouse lawn is open to everyone who wants to use it...but don't ban one unless you ban them all...otherwise you are just like the hypocrites you claim to hate...

randomhit10

No, what's really stupid is some Un-American Taliban stomping on our constitution to push forth a silly mythology just because they want to force their myths more into the public when they have all the freedom in the world to worship in their private lifes.

I wasn't aware wanting seperation of church and state (An American value!) was whining or being 'childish'. I suppose if it was on the other foot the drones would be 'whining' and 'childish' if their religion was banned from the US.

If they want a nativity on the lawn, outside a court house, I don't particularly care, but they better be prepared to accept other religions symbols and signs as well.

If I lived in the area, I'd put a picture of Richard Dawkins there for ya Kratos... right next to the Magi.

Or, I could leave a big fat nothin' for ya... which is what I'll be leaving to represent my own faith.

Please, it's just childish. Lets ban Santa, the Tooth-Fairy, and the Easter Bunny too. Maybe we can organize an anti-Paul Bunyan coalition while we are at it. Let's expose Jefferson for the hypocrite he was too, with all of his illegitimate slave-kids and other social transgressions.

The fear should be of an impending theocracy, not a nativity scene. That's why separation of church and state is important, not to protect the ignorant masses from myth.

Everyone can believe what they want to believe, if your faith (or lack of) is strong, something like this wont rattle you.

Its a nativity, its part of the holiday, no one is pushing anything onto you. Please grow up.

Maybe, but that's hardly the issue here. Just felt like ranting about nothing?

A nativity scene which is against our American values which is a slippery slope towards more mythology in our government. Having any religion promoted on our public and government grounds is just one more step towards theocracy.

Sorry, I don't see a nativity scene as remotely against American values. It's not ranting, I just think it's tilting at windmills.

Banning Christmas as been attempted in many large English towns run by the PC and ethnic councillors these same councillors don't have a problem with Muslim's, Hindu's etc. using public parks and town centres for their religious festivals costing a fortune to police and clean up afterwards, the "PC" have a lot to answer for.

Currently compulsory where I live. Rate payers have a proportion of their taxes collected apportioned to the Anglican church in their parish.

It's been a bone of contention for some time where I live but there are murmers of that being changed and an opt-out becoming available for those of us who are not at all happy about being forced to pay for the upkeep of a church.

In the media the motion to change this has been dubbed "You pray - you pay" and I could't agree more. There is no seperation of church and state where I live.

You'd go nuts in my island mate.



We get a right to complain when we are forced to pay for the local vicars new dog collar though...