Is a school sponsored Holiday Hallway decorating contest possibly a violation of the Establishment Clause?

Answer 1

No, because like all smart people know, the "Christmas" holiday is part religious, but as practiced here in America, is more of a SECULAR holiday.

Santa Claus, Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Christmas Trees, Holly wreaths, etc. have all had their Christian influences so watered down that they really don't mean anything religious anymore. (Same for the Easter Bunny).

SO - if your school decorated a hallway with the above items, it would NOT be a Constitutional violation.

HOWEVER - if they chose to add a Nativity scene, it would.

TWO DIFFERENT CHRISTMASES: one religious - one secular. It's only a confusing and complicated if you're a deluded Christian. If you even have half a brain, you can see that one is not the other.

Oh, and BTW - the ones who yammer about the "threat" to Christmas are always Christians. You never hear atheists OR the ACLU trying to "do away with" Christmas. We're all quite happy to put up a tree and lights and sing "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolf".

If they just keep their Jesus out of our Christmas we won't have any problems.

Answer 2

What? For Pete's sake, when are people going to get over this bull. When I was in school we decorated for holidays no one ever heard of before, that was part of the way we learned about different cultures and it went a long way in preventing most of us from being prejudice regardless of our family's beliefs. My dad was a died-in-the-wool, Arkansas razorback. His response to other cultures was bad to say the least. He didn't have a pointed hat and sheet, but probably because he was such a tight wad he might have had to pay dues, and it would have taken away from his drinking time. He got a little better when he got out of Arkansas and didn't have his good ol' boys to drink and shoot the bull with. He never understood why I didn't see color. I would say, "Oh we have a new girl in class". He'd ask, What is she?" I'd say. "I just told you she's a girl, and I actually wouldn't know". He would get mad and the next day when I got home he wanted to know what she was. When I tell people I didn't see color they look at me strange, unless something was pointed out or something said about them that might call it to my attention I wouldn't be able to tell you when I first meet them. When I got into security I had to learn to look at people differently. Not just height, weight, color of hair and eyes, but for markers that would tell you what genetic and nationality background they might have come from. The differences of shape of face, eyes, textures of hair, square jawed, round face. It was tough at first, then I began to see the individual beauties of different nationalities. Now that I've done some real studying of religions I can see the beauty of their beliefs without loosing my own. We need to stop this them and us, their religion, ours, is there a problems with having it in schools? No! How are you going to teach tolerance when someone is always trying to stop us from teaching how our differences make the whole stronger and better. Can you think what it would be like if you were a certain nationallity never exposed to other cultures, nationalities and beliefs. Say you had never tasted food from another culture. Say your Irish, what would you think if someone sat a plate of spaghetti and meat balls in front of you? Your Hispanic and someone sat Mutton Stew in front of you to eat. Your English and someone put a plate of "Shrimp off the bar-be. Think about the great stuff you would never learn about the wonderful food. Same thing think about never knowing someone of a different culture or nationality, I'd be totally lost with out my friends and family members that are from every where and are of many different cultures and nationalities. (In spite of my dads beliefs) I have a cousin who is fourteen, she is already modeling, she is Native American, Black, and Euro-Asian, and Irish. She's beautiful, she's also very sharp and smart. She got it all.
I'm so jealous, (just kidding.) People please we have to stop all this or were never going to have peace, love and joy.
Okay I'm getting off my soapbox, I want to wish you and yours Happy Holidays and a Happy New year, and thanks for listening.(reading).

Answer 3

I'm as atheist as they come, but I have to say it would be a REAL stretch to make that fly.

Answer 4

As the US Congress has not declared a "State Church" there are NO worries mate.

Answer 5

oh please. you folks need to calm down really. hallway decorations? get a grip. its Christmas, 80% of Americans celebrate it.