Court Ruling on Holiday Displays

So the Supreme Court is confused about how to apply the First Amendment provision about religion to the display of creches, saying that it is all right in one situation but not in another. That the Supreme Court can’t make up its mind whether or not it is all right to display a creche is odd because the First Amendment is straightforward and to the point about religion. Paraphrased, it says, “Don’t establish an official religion and do let people practice religion freely.”

All that is necessary in judging a situation is to turn those two ideas into the questions: “Does it establish an official religion?” and “Does it interfere with the practice of religion?” Any time the answer to both is “no,” the situation is acceptable. There is a simple solution.

Invite each of the major religions--Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism and American Indian--to pick a major holiday season from its religious calendar and, during that season, to have a display in public places and to present programs in school. In that way, religion is freely exercised; no official religion is established; everybody has a chance to learn something about everybody else. This is called “being ecumenical.”

JUANITA MATASSA

Santa Ana