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Nativity Display Permitted, US Court Rules

by | Tue, Feb 9 2021

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A US court has ruled that a traditional Nativity scene outside a public building in Indiana is constitutional – reversing a ruling from a lower court.

The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the annual nativity scene outside the Jackson County Courthouse, does not constitute a government endorsement of religion, and therefore doesn’t violate the First Amendment.

The Christian Post reports, the two-judge-to-one ruling comes more than two years after the Freedom from Religion Foundation complained in writing to Jackson County Commissioners about the display.

A short time later, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sued on behalf of local atheist, Rebecca Woodring, who said she was offended by the Nativity scene because it “celebrates Christianity”.

Lawyers from Liberty Counsel – a firm dedicated to preserving religious freedom – represented Jackson County to defend the legality of the display, and has praised the ruling.