Baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary can stay another week at Green Bay’s City Hall; moratorium on other displays sticks

In a 6-6 tie broken by the mayor, the City Council voted Tuesday night to leave a Nativity creche in place until Dec. 26. A moratorium on any other religious display until a set of guidelines is developed was also approved.

This from the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

The nativity display stays, and it stands alone.

The City Council voted Tuesday night to leave it in place until Dec. 26, and to impose a moratorium on any other religious display until the City Council and Schmitt could develop a set of guidelines.

The council voted 6-6, with Andy Nicholson, Chad Fradette, Guy Zima, Tom Denys, John Vander Leest and Tom Weber voting to keep it. Mayor Jim Schmitt cast the tie-breaker with a “yes” vote.

Passions ran deep on both sides of the issue Tuesday as Christians, non-Christians and the City Council debated what to do about the nativity display placed on City Hall last week.

Twenty-seven members of the public spoke, with some praising the city for putting up the nativity scene and others condemning it for excluding other faiths and nonbelievers.

“This is crazy,” said Tim Entringer of Green Bay. “It’s Christmas. I’m sad in my heart. There is only one God, and you’ve got to keep him up. The only way to get to God is through Jesus. It’s the true religion. You have to do it.”

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