A Tale of Two Holiday Displays
For over 50 years, the County City Building at 227 W. Jefferson Blvd. in downtown South Bend only recognized and celebrated one religion and one holiday by displaying a giant nativity scene accompanied by a Christmas tree full of Christian themed ornaments, ignoring the vast diversity in our community. In 2018, Northern Indiana Atheists (NIA) joined the party with a display and message that included everyone.
NIA’s Diversity & Inclusion holiday display acknowledges and celebrates over a dozen local religions and faith groups (both theistic and nontheistic) as well as the entire LGBTQIA spectrum, and it includes other messages of inspiration and inclusion. A growing number of churches, artists, and organizations doing good work in the community have donated ornaments to participate in our holiday display, which you can learn more about by scanning the QR code on the display, or visiting northernindianaatheists.com/ornaments.
In 2023, The St. Joseph County Republican Party erected their Christmas tree right next to the Diversity & Inclusion display, ironically decked with silver and gold and adorned with theocratic virtue signals, so there is no question they are the party of Christian nationalism, and there is literally no room for any other belief system or any other holiday celebrations on their tree or in their worldview.
In our opinion, one side shows the beautiful diversity in our community, while the other represents blatant Christian supremacy. One side is inclusive of cultures and traditions; the other is clearly promoting the idea that America and the holiday season is for Christians only.
On a social media post, County Council Member Amy Drake stated she was “Proud to be a part of the team who worked together to put a Christ-centered Christmas tree in the lobby of the County City Building—He is the reason for the season!” It seems the Christ-centered Christmas tree that has been there for years wasn’t quite Christ-centered enough, and although the photos show the Christ Child centered in the giant nativity scene, that scene wasn’t good enough for the St. Joseph County Republican Party—it seems their “reason for the season” is less about the birth of Jesus and more about Christian nationalism.
Troy Moss, NIA president, said, “NIA has a shining display of diversity and inclusion that only shines brighter now that it’s juxtaposed with a display of flagrant political and religious discrimination and exclusion.”
Like our holiday banner proclaims, happy holidays no matter how you celebrate! If you would like to see your community, culture, and traditions represented on NIA’s Diversity & Inclusion Holiday Tree, send us an email at Contact@NorthernIndianaAtheists.com.
Northern Indiana Atheists is a nonprofit established to fight state/church violations on a local level and defend the rights of atheists and other marginalized communities across Northern Indiana.
Membership is open to atheists and our allies who share our vision for a government that represents all people equally and our passion for serving our community. Your membership and donations amplify our voice and makes our impact even stronger. Become a member today at NorthernIndianaAtheists.com.