Comments on: Nativity Scenes on Public Property

By: wyocowboy

wyocowboy — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:44:10 +0000

The Religious Wrong (I do NOT call them “right” because they are not right BUT WRONG) is at it again, they need to be stopped. What happened with the separation of Church and State. I have read that the RW is trying to get rid of it. Regan, and both Bush’s have destroyed this country and we are paying the aftermath of their rule. The WR need to be stopped!!!!

By: muggle

muggle — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:39:16 +0000

Get all this foolishness out of the public square. But, until they are, fight fire with fire. Every time there’s a religious scene let’s either, yeah, mock them (so what it’s mocking, if the government is giving venue to opinions you can display something mocking) with the FSM or counter with reason’s greetings.

And thanks for posting the story about Tod Billings. It was nice to drop an old bulletin board pal a line. It’s been about a decade.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:24:25 +0000

Link to the box of knowledge images is:
http://web.me.com/suzique99/WSD/Winter_Solstice.html

By: efrique

efrique — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:17:21 +0000

At no point could I work in the word “page.”

Really? I thought of one within oh, a second of reading that sentence… (it’s much harder when you’re on the spot, which is why you need to pre-plan that kind of shenannigans).

After saying:
“Religious or non-religious displays have no business being on government property, but if one iss allowed, they all have to be allowed.” you add
“I think it’s time we all turn the page and agree to stick to the law on this one.”

By: Joffan

Joffan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:17:33 +0000

Agree with RPJ, despite my skittish post earlier – I recall thinking that was my first impression of the knowledge box display. How many people are going to read the bottom two feet of text?

Images… I like natural-world sciency stuff
- the track of the midwinter sun across the sky (maybe overlaid with the midsummer track)
- the track of the planets, especially Mars and Jupiter with their retrogrades
- lightning strikes
- crystals, especially geodes
- micrograph of cells
… each with a little explanatory text explaining and mentioning the transition from supernatural stories to scientific understanding.

This is all on the assumption that it has to stay very cheap, of course. Otherwise go for models and screens.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:15:41 +0000

I love the idea of the “Box of Knowledge”. But I have to agree with RPJ – that box is a communication / graphic design disaster. Too much information! Who’s going to read any of that? Especially the text at the bottom, unless it’s going on a pedestal. I make posters sometimes for work, and I give my boss a non-negotiable word limit of, say, 25 words. Even that’s pushing it.

By: DGKnipfer

DGKnipfer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:01:23 +0000

I agree with you on all of these with one exception, Hement. The Montville, New Jersey case is a looser for us. Much as I love the Flying Spaghetti Monster, may his noodleiness be upon you; his first appearance in modern writing is widely accepted as an attempt to mock the Religious Right. As such, the city council can claim that a Flying Spaghetti Monster display is not in the proper spirit of the holiday season, but instead a joke intended to mock the Christian holiday displays. A secular display expressing season’s greetings during the winter holidays would be acceptable and in the proper holiday spirit, but a display that gives the impression that it is specifically intended to mock other beliefs that it is displayed along side is not inappropriate or in the proper holiday spirit.

By: RPJ

RPJ — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:00:30 +0000

UGH the text on the Box of Knowledge is thick. tldr much?

It’s not a trivial point; delivery of information is arguable just as important as the information itself. Dense articles are appropriate for venues where one looks for information – journals, essays, or other resources. But nobody on the street is going to stop and spend half an hour reading that monument. I would only look at it long enough to jeer at the noobs who fail at information delivery.

A display, especially such as one equivalent to a Nativity scene, should focus on visuals that convey a theme succinctly and clearly. Text is ok if used sparingly – preferably, to snare one’s attention and direct them to a resource for the to find out more. It’s an advertisement, essentially.

Though it wins the legal battle, that display, unfortunately, loses the ideological battle by a landslide by being completely blind to communication. In a larger sense, this is the difficulty that atheism, secularism and science have in dealing with religious encroachment – religion communicates with people far better. non-religious messages will have to be able to compete to gain any headway.

By: Joffan

Joffan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:03:12 +0000

I think we’re all on the same page here. Turning to a new page in social attitudes is essential. Someone should page the councils in these cities to let them know what the text of the constitution says. The attractive pages of the Information Box can stand alongside the vague picture-book images of the little boy in the manger anyway.

(The info box needs fake snow on the roof, though, maybe icicles too, if the local weather is not going to provide. Interesting geometric mobiles would be my choice rather than tinsel.)

By: Ashley Moltzan

Ashley Moltzan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:58:22 +0000

Wow those are impressive lights