Atheist display: Skeleton Santa nailed to a cross

[rug]

21 minutes ago
By msnbc.com and NBCWashington.com

The skeleton in a Santa suit didn't survive for long outside the Loudoun County courthouse lawn, but it generated plenty of controversy in Leesburg, Va.

The skeleton was nailed to a cross on Monday by a mother and son associated with an atheist group, one of the nine approved displays for the Christmas season. But the macabre Kris Kringle was not standing for long. Someone tore the skeleton down, sparking a debate about free speech.

It's not a new argument. In 2009, Christmas displays on the courthouse lawn were banned after the constitutionality of a Nativity scene was questioned. Last year that decision was overturned, and 10 displays were allowed on the lawn based on a first-come, first-served basis.

Leesburg council member Ken Reid spoke out strongly against the skeletal Christmas display. "I think that it's just extremely, extremely sad," he said, "that somebody in this county who would try to basically debase Christmas like this. This really crossed the line."

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/06/9247743-atheist-display-skeleton-santa-nailed-to-a-cross

Video here: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/weird/Skeleton-Santa-Controversy-at-Loudoun-County-Courthouse-135070748.html