Group pushes Berkley to keep nativity

Berkley, where it seems to have been the center of many protests starting in the middle '50s and the birth place of many radical groups seems to have given birth to yet another grassroots organization. This time it is one that is against the ACLU.

Group pushes Berkley to keep nativity

BERKLEY -- A group called Stop the ACLU Tyranny, or STAT, has formed in Berkley in order to protest a possible vote to remove the city's 65-year-old nativity set.

Georgia Halloran of Berkley said she and about 30 other residents formed two weeks ago when she became aware that the City Council was about to make a decision on whether to keep the Christmas decorations displayed on city property. The focus of STAT, she said, is to make residents aware of the upcoming discussion at the Berkley City Council meeting.

"I was told that the City Council might recommend removing it from city property," she said. "I didn't feel that was right. It's just a capitulation to the ACLU."

Last December, the Berkley City Council was approached by ACLU member and Berkley resident Christine Gale who asked that it be taken down or secularized in order to conform to Supreme Court rulings.

"The display of a nativity scene and Star of David implies that the city endorses Christianity and Judaism," she said last December.

Since it was so close to Christmas, City Council members decided to add a snowman and Santa mailbox to the display area to avoid legal action before the holiday.

Berkleyite Tom McGlynn, who is a part of the STAT group, said he thinks secularizing the scene is the best option. McGlynn said he believes the ACLU does not care so much about rights, but about attacking Christians.

"It's religious bigotry," he said of the ACLU's viewpoint. "It's become the norm to attack Christians."

He sees the nativity scene more as a city tradition.

"It's something that's been established for years," he said. "What's the harm of having it there?"

A subcommittee of council members was formed to study the issue.

Councilman Phil O'Dwyer was a part of the committee along with Mayor Marilyn Stephan and Councilman Dale GoodCourage.

O'Dwyer said the committee looked at several options which were: designating a neutral area of land where any symbols could be put; secularize the nativity scene by adding Christmas decorations like plastic Santas and candy canes; continue the tradition and face a lawsuit; or give the nativity scene to local churches to use during the holidays.

These are the possibilities that will be discussed with the council, he said.

O'Dwyer said he welcomes hearing the opinions of Berkley residents at the meeting.

"That's the beauty of democracy," he said.

O'Dwyer said this issue is not about supporting a religious symbol but about doing what is right for the city.

He described himself as an active member of the Catholic church and said he believes all of the City Council members are members of local churches.

Mayor Marilyn Stephan was a part of the committee also and will lead the discussion about the nativity scene.

She has been a Lutheran all of her life and said she is very active in her church.

"I was baptized a Lutheran; I was raised a Lutheran," she said.

Because of her beliefs, Stephan said she finds the option of secularizing the nativity scene distasteful.

She believes religion and government should not mix.

"I don't think it is the proper observance of Christmas by a city," she said of putting up a nativity scene in front of city hall. "I believe in separation of church and state."

There are other groups besides the ACLU that believe "government is being co-opted by religion," Stephan said.

"That's why the pilgrims came here. They didn't want church and state to be combined. And here we are giving over to the state more and more religious oversight," she said. "That troubles me very much. I go to church to worship. And I go to City Hall to conduct city business."

Stephan said the agenda has not been set yet for the upcoming Oct. 16 meeting, but she said this issue will be discussed, if not on the regular agenda, at a work session. The next meeting is 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16, at City Hall, located at 12 Mile and Coolidge.