The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its Sacramento chapter are back at the California Capitol to counter religious displays at that legislative shrine.
The Greater Sacramento Chapter of FFRF has put up the whimsical "nativity" cutout depicting three Founding Fathers (and the Statue of Liberty) gazing in adoration at a "baby" Bill of Rights. A sign reads: "At this Season of the Winter Solstice, join us in honoring the Bill of Rights, adopted on December 15, 1791, which reminds us there can be no religious freedom without the freedom to dissent." It ends: "Keep religion and government separate!"
FFRF has installed the display as a direct response to a Christian nativity that went up again this year after debuting at the Capitol a year ago, placed there by the religion-promoting Thomas More Society.
"A Christmas nativity display is at the California state Capitol on the building steps," a California newspaper reported last year. "The Christmas crèche, including statues of the Holy Family — Jesus, Mary and Joseph — and the Three Kings will be housed under a handcrafted wooden stable, assembled Dec. 17 and remaining on display through Dec. 26."
A Jewish Menorah symbol has also been exhibited at the Capitol.
FFRF was spurred into action due to this religious intrusion into the epicenter of lawmaking of the most populous and significant state in the country and is back representing the freethought perspective this year. The display will be up till Dec. 19, a total of 10 days as allowed under the permit.
"It is not cool to have such religious pageantry in the heart of state government," says FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. "If blatantly devotional exhibitionism is allowed in, there must be 'room at the inn' for our irreverence and freethought."
FFRF thanks its local chapter, the Greater Sacramento Chapter of FFRF, for helping bring a secular viewpoint before the residents of the Golden State.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national state/church watchdog organization that has 30,000 nonreligious members and 20 chapters all over the country, including more than 3,800 members in California.