December 11 Unveiling Ceremony at Noon in First Floor RotundaContact: Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations, 312-422-1333,
tc@tcpr.net OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 9, 2015 /
Christian Newswire/ -- This Christmas season, the Thomas More Society, will display a nativity scene in the Nebraska capitol building in honor of the birth of Christ. At noon, Friday, December 11, the national nonprofit public interest law firm and its Omaha branch will host a celebration and unveil the Christmas crèche depicting the newborn Christ child lying in the manger. Thomas More Society-Omaha attorney Martin Cannon will address the gathering and members of the Pacific Strings Ensemble will lead music. The nativity scene will be on view in the Nebraska State Capitol building rotunda at 1445 K Street in Lincoln, Nebraska through December 18 and is open to the public.
"The nativity scene in the capitol rotunda represents constitutionally-protected free speech and the expression of religious faith by private citizens in a traditional public forum," said Tom Brejcha, Thomas More Society President and Chief Counsel. "The government is neither censor nor endorser of such religious speech. In the capitol rotunda, where political rallies are routinely held during government sessions, the government is merely the gatekeeper upholding free speech." Brejcha noted that the manger scene is privately funded and sponsored, bereft of any government aid or endorsement, and therefore, the nativity display is clothed and armored with the full protection of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The Thomas More Society provides legal counsel for privately-funded groups placing nativity scenes in public places in twenty-one states. The law firm has sponsored private nativity displays at the state capitols in Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Texas, and in front of the Oklahoma Governor’s mansion, in partnership with the American Nativity Scene Committee.
"We are very pleased to be exercising our First Amendment rights by expressing our religious faith in public," said Cannon. "It is appropriate, and it is the right of all Nebraskans to celebrate Christmas with a Nativity in the Capitol. A joyous Christmas to all!" Cannon also explained why the nativity scene comes down on December 18, "This year a local group of atheists reserved all of the available space in the rotunda during the week before Christmas. They have proved our point that all speech is welcome, except Christian. We would have shared our space with them, but they are not willing to do the same."
To schedule an interview with Tom Brejcha of the Thomas More Society, contact Tom Ciesielka at 312.422.1333,
tc@tcpr.net.
To speak with Martin Cannon of the Thomas More Society-Omaha branch, call 402.455.6000.
About the Thomas More Society
Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Based in Chicago, the Thomas More Society defends and fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Visit www.thomasmoresociety.org.
About the Thomas More Society-Omaha
The Thomas More Society-Omaha branch was founded in 2012 to further the mission of Thomas More Society specifically in the Omaha, Nebraska area. It is comprised of a group of dedicated attorneys working alongside the Chicago office to further the mission of defending life, family, and religious liberty. Visit www.thomasmoresociety.org/omaha.
About the American Nativity Scene Committee
The American Nativity Scene Committee is dedicated to the display of nativity scenes in every state capitol in America during the Christmas season. The committee ships nativity scenes, which have been donated by an anonymous benefactor, to citizens throughout the United States who wish to give witness to the true meaning of Christmas by setting up a privately funded crèche in a public forum. Visit www.americannativityscene.com.
