Travis AFB asked to move menorah, nativity

[alp227]

The nativity scene at the corners of Travis Ave and Skymaster Drive on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield California has come under fire from an organization based in New Mexico. The military free-religion group claims the holiday decorations at the base's main intersection that include SantaÕs, reindeer -- and a nativity scene and a menorah, are unconstitutional promotion of a religion and asked that the overtly religious decorations be moved to the base's chapel nearby.

Photo: Lance Iversen / The Chronicle

A holiday display at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield might inspire a seasonal spirit in some viewers, but it's stirring up less-than-jolly resentment in others.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a national group, has written to the base, arguing that the display's inclusion of a large menorah and nativity scene implies an endorsement of some religions. The display also includes other items, including reindeer, Christmas trees and airplanes.

In a letter to the base, the group writes that the religious symbols send "an unmistakable message to viewers that the Air Force endorses the beliefs and tenets of two monotheistic religions" and violates the Constitution's freedom of religion clause.

The group has asked the base to move the religious items to the lawn of the nearby chapel instead of keeping them at a main thoroughfare intersection.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/15/BA8C1MD1KS.DTL

[tawadi]

1. Seems fair to move the nativity scene near the chapel

It's not as if anybody wants it removed completely.

[Enrique]

2. this is a Christmas gift to the right-wingers

screaming about this stuff is their favorite part of the Christmas season, it might be the ONLY thing they like about it. They might even think that's the purpose of Christmas.

Notice I said Christmas three times. I'm doing that to spite them.

[HuckleB]

5. +1

[elleng]

3. Silly, imo.

[1620rock]

4. Much ado about nothing.

[gejohnston]

6. maybe I'm glad I retired when I did

in my day, the base commander would be getting a call from the numbered Air Force commander yelling WTF.

[petronius]

7. If the complaint really came from service members at the base, then I support it

The chapel would seem to be the appropriate place for overtly religious symbology, so long as all faiths on the base have equal access to the facility...

[Boston_Chemist]

8. The military personnel in these installations are effectively a captive audience.

Shoving religion down their throats is unamerican and abusive. This is not "much ado about nothing."

[24601]

9. Basic Training bases might have captive audiences. Most people come and go with

great frequency and ease on this base.

What's hard is for non-ID hard holders to get on base. So this is more of a case of keeping religion away from the general population.