Snowplow dilemma - outside atheist group nixes mayor's 'reasonable' solution ...

[trotsky]

(title cont'd)... to students' religious artwork

http://www.christianexaminer.com/article/snowplow.delimma.outsider.atheist.group.challenges.mayors.reasonable.solution.to.students.religious.artwork/47559.htm

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Christian Examiner) -- Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether says he is working hard to "find reasonable solutions to resolve complex issues" in his town: how to honor student artwork on city snowplows, which include two with Christian themes, while also respecting those who disagree with the religious messages.

...

In early October, the city's fifth annual Paint the Plow event drew complaints from a local chapter called the Siouxland Freethinkers about the two plows, one painted by elementary and middle school students from Sioux Falls Lutheran Schools – which read "Happy Birthday Jesus" – and the other painted by students from Lutheran High School which was decorated with "Jesus Christ."

The informal complaint said the artwork violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

"These displays send the exclusionary message to nonbelievers and non-Christians that they are outsiders in their community, and a corollary message to Christians that they are insiders and favored citizens" Siouxland Freethinkers board member Eric Novotny told USA Today.

[JDDavis]

1. What is this problem with churches keeping their messages in churches...

Not in public schools, not on snowplows, not anywhere other than by the way they live their lives by example, and preach by their actions, not by the way they plow snow or pound sand?

Snow, as far as I know, is not of any one religion; we all have to do away with some of it, and ski or snowboard on the rest of it.

Likewise rain, wind and fire.

[trotsky]

2. A very simple thought experiment for folks in that town...

if they are upset at atheists for this, how would they feel if one of the plows said "Praise Allah"?

[JDDavis]

3. I'd vote for one plow for each god ever invented.

The streets would be free of snow in an hour or less.


Oh wait, only that Judeo-Christianity's one god allowed those plows?


Expect major snow delays as we drive 20 mph behind one or two of those plows this winter.