558 N. Main St., Prineville, OR 97754 | (541) 447-6205
Prineville’s nativity scene is under fire again.
In May, the Prineville City Council relinquished control of the display, but left the door open for private citizens to set up a display of their own.
Prineville resident Bob Orlando took the city up on their offer and rented the city plaza, at his own expense, for the month of December.
Orlando legally rented the space from the Crook County Parks and Recreation District for $5 per day. Then with the help of other volunteers he recently set up a nativity scene. However, he has made it clear that other displays are also welcome. He has reached out to the local Jewish community offering them space, and has not turned down anyone who wishes to set up a display in the plaza.
Orlando’s only stipulation has been that the display in some way represents the winter holidays.
Unfortunately, that isn’t good enough for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, who are once again threatening to sue.
Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor made it clear that the foundation is not satisfied with the current arrangement.
“You have to have rules,” she said. “You have to have permits. You can’t set up a situation that is reserved for just one person to have that public forum.”
Gaylor might have a point if Orlando had made any attempt to block other people’s displays. However, that is simply not the case. Not only has Orlando gone out of his way to encourage other displays in the plaza, he has gone so far as to limit the extent of his own nativity scene.
Orlando originally was going to display a sign that said ‘Celebrate the birth of Jesus’. He chose to not display the sign because he feared that it might be offensive to someone.
Orlando has reached out to the FFRF offering them space for a display. Instead of setting up a winter solstice display and a box with leaflets stating their viewpoint, they wish instead to set up a sign which says “There is no God.”
The FFRF has an absolute right to their opinion. However, clearly a sign that says “There is no God” is not part of a celebration of the winter holidays. Rather we believe that their intent is to antagonize and bully.
We believe that the City of Prineville and Orlando have acted reasonably and responsibly. The FFRF is way off base. Even the ACLU believes that both Prineville and Orlando have complied with the law. Our constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Since Orlando has gone out of his way to allow competing views in no way shape or form is he or the city of Prineville violating either the intent, or the letter of the constitution.
Local leaders have been responsible and gone out of their way to allow all sides to be heard. It is time for the FFRF to recognize that there is nothing wrong with allowing competing ideas in the public forum. That’s one of the basic tenets that our society is based on. It is time for the FFRF to get out of the way and allow local problems to be solved locally.
