Skip to content

Atheist insists on lose-lose scenario in nativity fight

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes
Damon Vix has cost the city it's nativity scenes and associated tourist revenues.

For nearly 60 years, the city of Santa Monica has showcased a series of dioramas featuring the Nativity of Christ, but thanks to atheist involvement, the nativities are going away. Rather than fight with the atheists, the city has decided to do away with the displays altogether.

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
11/19/2012 (1 decade ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Atheists, Santa Monica, nativity, Damon Vix

SANTA MONICA, CA (Catholic Online) -  The nativity scenes used to attract visitors from across Los Angeles, but now there will be nothing to see. And although churches are suing the city to get their nativities back, it's unlikely they'll win.

The atheists are sitting back, enjoying the courtroom festivities between the churches and the city, entirely uninvolved.

What happened?

Three years ago, Damon Vix, 44, a self-proclaimed atheist, decided to apply for a booth amongst the other nativity scenes. However, instead of depicting a scene from the nativity of Christ, Vix used his space to proclaim an atheistic message, quoting Thomas Jefferson, "Religions are all alike - founded on fables and mythologies." Adding, "Happy Solstice."

It didn't seem like a very nice thing to do.

In 2011, Vix upped the ante significantly, collaborating with 10 others to devour all the available space for the nativity scenes. He won 18 of the 21 spaces that are traditionally awarded by the city via lottery.

They used only half of those spaces, displaying atheistic propaganda in them.

Most of their signs were subsequently vandalized by angry residents, and a full-blown debate erupted. Rather than deal with the arguments and inevitable lawsuits, the city announced that it was ending its tradition.

In response, several churches founded the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes Committee and sued, claiming that while atheists have the right to their opinions, they do not have the right to silence Christian free speech.

This is true.

Currently, the city allows churches to celebrate in parks and to hand out literature and assistance to those in need.

However, the city has no apparent obligation to hold the annual lottery and administer the event, particularly in a time of fiscal austerity. The city has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit from the committee.

Now a judge must decide if he will compel the city to continue the Christmas tradition or if the city is allowed to abandon it altogether.

Even if the atheists win and the tradition is killed, it will not kill belief in God, which existed before the tradition, and perhaps a bit more strongly in its wake. They will however, have an empty park devoid of tourists and revenues that the city might otherwise enjoy. So even though the atheists won, they pretty much won -- nothing.

---


'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'


Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Lent logo
Saint of the Day logo

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.