Crèche be gone.
The Nativity scene was removed from St. George Terminal recently. (SI Live)
Baby Jesus was removed from the St. George Ferry Terminal after officials said it was not authorized. Catholics said the move was a nightmare before Christmas.
SI Live reported:
The Christ is out of Christmas at the St. George Ferry Terminal.
In what Catholics see as political correctness run amok, the city Department of Transportation (DOT) has removed a Nativity scene from the terminal, with an agency spokesman saying that the display was not authorized to be there.
But a menorah, marking the celebration of Hanukkah, and a Christmas tree remain on display in the terminal.
Catholics said the move was a nightmare before Christmas.
“We take this as a tremendous affront,” said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a watchdog of religious and civil rights.
The controversy reflects church-and-state battles that erupt nationwide each Christmas over the placement of religious symbols in public spaces.
A caller to the Advance today complained about the removal of the Nativity scene, which depicts the newborn Christ in the manger.
The caller said that workers in the terminal told her the display was removed after someone complained to the city’s 311 hotline.
But DOT spokesman Seth Solomonow said the display was removed because the agency hadn’t given permission for it to be there.
The crèche was placed there by “staff,” he said, and was removed by ferry personnel. He said there was no 311 complaint. Solomonow did not say exactly who had put up the display…
“Pro-Christmas” advocates appear to have public opinion on their side. A recent Rasmussen poll showed that people prefer to be greeted with “Merry Christmas” over “Happy Holidays,” 69 to 24 percent.
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