First they steal the baby Jesus statue out of the creche on Independence Mall (Yeah, they also said that some places put GPS on their baby Jesuses because baby Jesus theft is apparently common, which is a whole other story I suppose.)
Then people start asking “Wait, why is there a creche on Independence Mall?”
Here’s a CC of a letter I just wrote to the National Parks Service, thought you’d find it interesting:

Mr. XXXXXXX,

I am writing to request that the nativity scene (and any other religious iconography) be removed from the lawn of the Independence Mall near the National Constitution Center and the Independence Historic sites.

After the jump, Fich addresses the elephant-sized baby Jesus in the room.

Amendment 1 to the US Constitution, a document created, housed and interpreted on the site, states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” I feel that the display of religious iconography, specifically that of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity, is tantamount to an endorsement by the National Constitution Center, The Federal Government (National Parks Service) and the documents, sites and history they steward, of said iconography over that of other tax-exempt, government recognized religions. It occurs to me that perhaps this display was set up by an outside group, however I find that its place on the lawn is akin to its endorsement by the property’s steward. Such endorsement seems grossly at odds with this, the first sentence to the first amendment to the US Constitution. I suggest either displaying parallel iconography from all government recognized religions or, more simply, displaying none.

I went to public school for twelve years. I have never seen a nativity scene in a school. I went to school in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Given that the creation and modification of the Constitution is one of the central interpretive narratives of your institution, you are aware that in the 1989 Allegheny County vs. ACLU case, a nativity display and Chanukkia were ordered removed from the City/County building in Pittsburgh by a decision of the US Supreme Court. The court ruled that the creche violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, the one which I quoted above.

It is with some dismay that I even write this letter. I figured that as the lone museum and historic site dedicated specifically to interpreting the US Constitution and the country’s other founding documents, this letter would not be necessary, given the long and well known history of acrimony surrounding displays of religious symbols on US Goverment property. Even if the museum itself were not government property, its mandate as an interpreter of the Constitution and its well-credentialed administration, including former US Presidents, would be shameful in allowing something so obviously contrary to Constitutional law to take place under its nose. Ignorance of the Constitution is obviously not a defense in this case.

I look forward to hearing your reply and I hope that indeed you do see that the display is removed.

Sincerely,

Michael Fichman

Michael Fichman is a frequent contributor to Philebrity, and a DJ of some repute. Visit him at Philadelphyinz.com.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm.