Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on November 4, 2009 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Good for them! I'd wondered what had happened to the set, too. I was so impressed with it when I first moved to Emporia. I'm glad I'll be able to share it with my young son. Thanks to the volunteers who put all that work in!

Too but it can't be displayed outside the auditorium like it used to be before the ACLU stuck their atheist noses into the matter. Nothing in the Constitution says religious symbols can't be on public property. It says the government can't interfere with a citizen's right to worship as they please. By saying Christian symbols can't be on public land, they're breaking that, in my opinion.

Posted by hjcary (anonymous) on November 4, 2009 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

madpoet is correct. Just because the school chooses,I say "choose" because it is NOT illegal for them to sing Christmas songs, not to sing Christmas songs does not mean the Emporia Auditorium should have to give up their nativity to a church, that is just silly. It should go right back to its rightful place on City property.

Posted by admireed (anonymous) on November 4, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sure have a lot of crosses, Stars of David...etc in national cemeteries. They have to go too?

Posted by dlh66801 (anonymous) on November 5, 2009 at 12:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

KUDOS! to the volunteers from Messiah Lutheran Church!
I was afraid we would never see the Nativity again. As to where it would best be displayed, St. Andrews Church yard is as wonderful a site as any other church location elsewhere in town.

Can we start a new tradition? How about offering the display to a different church location every year? Each Emporia church that would be interested, hold a lottery to see which church would display the Nativity, with a different church each year. Each church would see to the security of the display. Possibly setting rules or regulations for security. What do you think?

Now that the Nativity display has been recovered and restored, anyone out there recall the large Santa and reindeer that was displayed on the ESU campus at the end of Commercial Street.

It's been many years since it was displayed there, in fact it was before there was ever an actual circular drive, Roosevelt Hall was Roosevelt High School and the old circular fire escape slides at the old gymnasium.

The last time I seen it was at the VoTech school, and that has been 7+ years ago.

Does anyone have any information? Could you send it to mlynar@emporiagazette.com? I've requested a search for several past Emporia Christmas traditions for Bobbi to include in her column "Because You Asked".

Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on November 5, 2009 at 1:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm an Emporian who doesn't necessarily believe in the Christian God. I don't care if you display it, but do we have to call it "Emporia’s official Nativity scene"? If all Emporians don't believe in it, how can it be official? Is Christianity the official religion of Emporia?
'enry

Posted by oh4theluvof (anonymous) on November 5, 2009 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

dlh66801
I like that idea, because, after all, it DOES belong to the City still, doesn't it? It is public property that isn't allowed to be displayed on the property belonging to the same public that owns it?
Unless ownership has changed hands and I missed that.........

I suppose ownership would be what makes it the City's "official nativity." (BTW, was that quote in the print ed. because I didn't see it anywhere here until Henry brought it up to argue with it)

Posted by oh4theluvof (anonymous) on November 5, 2009 at 3:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Never, mind, I see it now....duh!!! Sorry about that....I think I started reading at the second sentence...twice. Too many distractions nearby.