It's so sad to see so many people pushing their religious beliefs on everyone else. Why everyone wants to pay constant homage to a being that never answers their prayers (or does anything at all) is beyond me. No matter how disappointed the people get, their faith rarely wavers. Geez.
I think that's just about the definition of insanity, and that's pretty much what religion is: insanity. Some are "touched" quite a bit more than others. Still others know it's all fake but know the power the idea holds over people, and play on those beliefs and fears. Far too many people do that.
FFRF defeats
Gov. Abbott
over Capitol
nativity display
FFRF has prevailed in federal court
against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who
ordered the removal of FFRF’s Bill of
Rights Nativity display from the Texas
Capitol in 2015.
In his decision, handed down Oct.
13, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks for
the Western District of Texas – Austin
Division, ruled that Abbott violated
FFRF’s free speech rights.
 |
| FFRF’s Bill of Rights nativity display
was removed by Texas Gov. Abbott, but a court decided that Abbott’s action was unconstitutional. |
FFRF had placed a duly permitted
display celebrating the Winter Solstice
and Bill of Rights Day, in response to
a Christian nativity scene in the Texas
Capitol. The display, depicting three
Founding Fathers and the Statue of
Liberty celebrating the birth of the Bill
of Rights (adopted Dec. 15, 1791), had
the requisite sponsorship from a Texas
legislator (state Rep. Donna Howard).
Abbott, as chair of the Texas
State Preservation Board, ordered
FFRF’s display taken down only three days after it was erected, lambasting it
as indecent, mocking and contributing
to public immorality. Abbott tweeted
that he ordered the display removed
because “mocking the Capitol Nativity
scene is offensive.”
“Defendants have justified removal
of FFRF’s exhibit by arguing the exhibit’s
satirical tone rendered it offensive
to some portion of the population.
That is viewpoint discrimination,”
writes Sparks in a 24-page ruling. “Because
the ostensibly mocking tone of
the FFRF exhibit is defendants’ sole
reason for removing the exhibit from
the Ground Floor Rotunda, the court
finds defendants have engaged in viewpoint
discrimination as a matter of
law.”
The court also held that a reasonable
official in Gov. Abbott’s position
would have known that removing
FFRF’s display based on its viewpoint
would violate FFRF’s First Amendment
rights, thus FFRF can sue Gov. Abbott
in his personal capacity.
Ken Herman, an op-ed writer for the
Austin American-Statesman, agreed
with the judge’s ruling.
 |
| text that accompanied the Bill of Rights Nativity display |
“The foundation is a church-state
separation group with a knack for
making its points in ways that can upset
some people who sometimes can benefit
from a periodic upsetting,” Herman
wrote.
Sparks did not find that Abbott’s
actions violated the Establishment
Clause, but also ruled in FFRF’s favor
that FFRF has the right to depose the
governor for one hour. Abbott had
fought the request for a deposition.
Rep. Howard, who sponsored the
display, noted that Abbott’s intervention
came only one day before FFRF’s
display was supposed to come down.
“That does appear to make this more
of a political statement,” she said. “It
was going to come down anyway.”
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie
Gaylor praised the ruling as a very
strong decision for FFRF, for free
speech and for the rights of nonbelieving
citizens.
“We’d rather keep divisive religious
— and irreligious — views out of state
capitols. But if the government creates
public forums, and permits Christian
nativities in them, there must be room
at the inn for the rest of us.”
Abbott says the state of Texas isn’t
done with this issue.
“Be assured,” Abbott tweeted after
the ruling, “this will be appealed.”
The case is Freedom From Religion
Foundation v. Governor Greg Abbott, Case
No. A-16-CA-00233-SS. FFRF was represented
by Attorney Richard L. Bolton
with FFRF Attorney Sam Grover as
co-counsel.
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