Opinion ID: 733380
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Original Display

Text: A. Government Erection of a Creche 53 Under the endorsement test, a display violates the Establishment Clause if, in its particular setting, the display is sufficiently likely to be perceived by adherents of the controlling denominations as an endorsement, and by non-adherents as a disapproval of their individual religious choices. Allegheny County, 492 U.S. at 597, 109 S.Ct. at 3103. In applying the endorsement test to Jersey City's display, we must consider the particular effects of its display of a creche. 54 One of the principles that emerges from the shifting pluralities of Allegheny County is that government erection of a creche creates an inherent risk of perceived endorsement. The creche, which depicts the event that lies at the very core of Christianity, is an unambiguous religious symbol. 8 Indeed, Justice O'Connor in Allegheny County recognized that a creche is the central religious symbol of the Christmas holiday. Id. at 627, 109 S.Ct. at 3119. 55 A creche represents the Christian belief that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary to lead humankind on a path toward salvation and redemption. Yet Jersey City would have us believe that the symbol of the creche has achieved such a level of secular status that it is religiously benign. We are not so persuaded. The mere fact that a religious symbol is pervasively displayed during the holiday season does not diminish its religious significance. A creche unambiguously represents a belief that is not universally shared by the citizens of this country. In fact, many citizens believe that Jesus may only be understood as a Hebrew prophet. For some devout observers of their respective faiths, it is heresy to ascribe a divine character or purpose to Jesus' life or death. Indeed, as Justice Brennan recognized in his dissent in Lynch, [F]or Christians, that path [toward salvation and redemption] is exclusive, precious, and holy. But for those who do not share these beliefs, the symbolic reenactment of the birth of a divine being who has been miraculously incarnated as a man stands as a dramatic reminder of their differences with Christian faith. Lynch, 465 U.S. at 708, 104 S.Ct. at 1378 (Brennan, J., dissenting). 56 When government chooses to speak by erecting a creche on government property, the principles at the core of the Establishment Clause are clearly implicated. See Capitol Square, --- U.S. at ----, 115 S.Ct. at 2448 (In Allegheny County, we held that the display of a privately-sponsored creche on the 'Grand Staircase' of the Allegheny County Courthouse violated the Establishment Clause. That staircase was not, however, open to all on an equal basis, so the County was favoring sectarian religious expression.). By erecting a creche itself, on city property, a city sends a stronger message of endorsement of religion than when it merely provides a forum for private religious speech. In the former context, the government is effectively conveying the message that we celebrate the holiday season by recognizing the birth of Christ. As Justice O'Connor noted in Allegheny County, [T]he display of religious symbols in public areas of core government buildings runs a special risk of making religion relevant, in reality or in public perception, to status in the political community. Allegheny County, 492 U.S. at 626, 109 S.Ct. at 3119 (O'Connor, J., concurring). Accordingly, we conclude that Jersey City's display of a creche on City Hall Plaza--the very seat of Jersey City government--conveyed a message of religious endorsement. 57 Further, we note that the expenditure of public funds to erect and maintain a religious display directly implicates the Establishment Clause. Jersey City's display was erected and maintained with public funds. If a city taxpayer objected to the religious display, he or she could not have opted out of contribution to the display, even if fundamentally repugnant to his or her own beliefs. Of course, taxpayers often exercise little control over how the government spends its money on a daily basis, but the Establishment Clause presents unique constraints on the expenditure of public funds for religious purposes. 9 Most importantly, the Establishment Clause requires the government to remain neutral towards religion in its expenditure of public funds. 58 Here, Jersey City expressed a religious preference by erecting a religious display through the expenditure of taxpayer dollars. 10 Moreover, by using taxpayer dollars to fund a display containing religious symbols, Jersey City has increased the risk that the display's religious message will be attributed to the city and its taxpayers. In other words, Jersey City's use of public funds to erect and maintain its display increased the risk of making religion relevant ... to status in [Jersey City's] political community. Allegheny County, 492 U.S. at 626, 109 S.Ct. at 3119 (O'Connor, J., concurring). 59 Jersey City's display of a creche was accompanied by a menorah, a sign, and a Christmas Tree. Jersey City maintains that this context alters the message of endorsement conveyed by the display of the creche. We disagree. The menorah is a religious symbol. And when displayed with a creche, the menorah's religious significance is emphasized. Moreover, the token inclusion of the Christmas tree does little to mitigate the religious message of the creche and the menorah. Thus, the display cannot be viewed as anything but a constitutionally impermissible dual endorsement of Christianity and Judaism. 60 Read together, Lynch, Allegheny County, and Capitol Square emphasize the importance of perceived government endorsement of religion in Establishment Clause analysis. A comparison of Jersey City's display with the displays involved in Allegheny County and Lynch reinforces the conclusion that Jersey City's original display impermissibly endorsed religion. In Allegheny County, a privately-owned nativity scene was displayed on the main staircase of the county courthouse, bounded by a wooden fence, poinsettias, and a plaque stating This Display Donated by the Holy Name Society. Allegheny County, 492 U.S. at 580, 109 S.Ct. at 3094. Thus, even with a sign proclaiming private ownership of the display, the Court held that the display, in its context (on the grand staircase of the Allegheny County Courthouse), communicated state endorsement of religion. In Lynch, the government-owned and maintained creche was part of a winter wonderland display and was situated in a privately-owned park not located near any visible seat of government. Because there were no external indicia of government sponsorship of the creche, the risk of perceived endorsement was significantly lessened. And in Capitol Square, the Court upheld the constitutionality of the display of a privately-sponsored cross in a public square because the government was not sponsoring the speech. 61 In this case, Jersey City not only owned and maintained the creche but chose to erect it on City Hall Plaza--the very seat of Jersey City government. Moreover, the sign that accompanied the display proudly proclaimed that the display was sponsored by Jersey City. Like the creche in Allegheny County, the creche and the menorah were located prominently at the visible seat of government power. The City placed the display such that all visitors to City Hall were confronted with prominent religious symbols. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government, when speaking, from expressing favoritism towards a particular religion. By using the City Hall Plaza as a forum from which to communicate its endorsement of Christianity and Judaism, Jersey City violated the Establishment Clause. 11 62 B. The City's Diversity/Pluralism Justification 63 The City maintains that its celebration of many different religions throughout the year should be considered the context in which the creche and the menorah should be viewed, effectively converting its religious displays from endorsement of religion into a celebration of diversity. 64 There are three reasons why the City's diversity/pluralism justification fails to pass constitutional muster. First, notwithstanding Justice O'Connor's recognition of the values of religious pluralism in Allegheny County, government endorsement of one or any number of different religions is unconstitutional. Second, a reasonable observer cannot be presumed to be aware of the various religious and cultural celebrations that take place throughout the year in Jersey City. Third, the City's policy of celebrating many different religions, while perhaps laudable, is a classic example of government entanglement with religion. We will discuss each of these points in detail below. 65 (1) Endorsement of More Than One Religion 66 The City, in support of its diversity/pluralism justification, relies on the following language from Justice O'Connor's concurrence in Allegheny County: 67 By accompanying its display of a Christmas tree--a secular symbol of the Christmas holiday season--with a salute to liberty, and by adding a religious symbol from a Jewish holiday also celebrated at roughly the same time of the year, I conclude that the city did not endorse Judaism or religion in general, but rather conveyed a message of pluralism and freedom of belief during the holiday season. 68