Advent & Lent Collide

From the Associated Baptist Press...

Supreme Court will not review policy banning nativity scenes in NY schools

A year after a New York City mother's appeal, the Supreme Court declined Feb. 20 to review a policy banning nativity scenes but allowing other holiday-season displays in the nation's largest public school district.

The justices declined, without comment or recorded dissent, to hear an appeal in Skoros v. City of New York (No. 06-271).

In the case, Catholic mother Andrea Skoros had asked the justices to overturn two rulings by lower federal courts that said the school district did not violate her two sons' religious freedom or her ability to raise her children without governmental religious interference when the district disallowed nativity scenes.

The schools' policy states: "The display of secular holiday symbol decorations is permitted. Such symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, menorahs, and the [Islamic] star and crescent."

Shortly after implementing the policy in 2001, a group of Catholic activists asked school officials to allow creches or nativity scenes to be included in the displays. However, the school board denied the request.

There's more...preposterous stuff...like this:

In response to Skoros' lawsuit, city attorneys argued that menorahs, dreidels, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and the star and crescent are sufficiently secular to represent the holidays celebrated by students in the diverse district. However, they contended, creches are purely Christian religious symbols.

Why couldn't the school policy include creches & nativity scenes? What's so hard about including the scenes? They wouldn't even have a Christmas tree if it weren't for CHRIST'S birth. Why does everything have to be so hard? Oops, I forgot it's about the battle - spiritually.

That's ok, because I know who WON! We keep on fighting onward and upward! The suffering we endure on this earth allows us to receive such awesome and magnificent grace!
YEA GOD!

We can use this grace for/in Lent: to remember to be charitable and loving in ALL circumstances; always mindful of the battle (I) we should continue to fight for CHRIST so that HE gets all the honor and glory in all circumstances; remain strong, faithful and steadfast and HE will RULE THE DAY!

Prayers for this mother - Mrs. Skoros, her family, her lawyers, her supporters, the Supreme Court Justices, the New York City school district & school board. And as always we offer prayers of reparation!