Santa Monica Ends 60 Years of Nativity Scenes

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Last week the Santa Monica City Council voted to disallow any “unattended religious display” along Ocean Avenue; effectively putting an end to six decades of nativity scenes in the Park.

Beginning in 1953, a coalition of 13 churches joined a local police organization to put up nativity displays. They consisted of more than a dozen scenes from the birth of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels. But atheist groups challenged the practice and demanded space for their own displays. Last year, the display area was divided up into small spaces and split up among dozens of applicants. The coalition of churches that had been using the park got just three of the spaces. Eighteen of the spaces went to atheists groups. Now Santa Monica has put an end to the displays altogether.

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Proverbs 14:9
Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor.

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