Nativity Scenes Become Political Statements

A suburban Boston Catholic parish sparked controversy this Advent by replacing the Baby Jesus in its outdoor nativity scene with a sign reading, “ICE was here.” The pastor argues the display moves “beyond static traditional figures and evokes emotion and dialogue.”

A new battlefront is emerging in the “War on Christmas.” For years, this “war” primarily involved confronting secularism; many Americans first encountered the “naked public square” when traditional Nativity scenes were removed from city hall parks, often by court order. as progressive ideologies gained prominence, “Happy Holidays” became a euphemism for the holiday that some hesitated to name.

However, the “War on Christmas” now features Christians appropriating Christian symbolism for political causes. Currently,immigration law enforcement is a focal point.

News reports confirm that using crèches as partisan props extends beyond Massachusetts. In Illinois, one Nativity scene depicts the Baby Jesus with zip-tied hands, referencing a detention tactic used by ICE. another features Jesus wearing a gas mask, alluding to tactics used against those obstructing federal law enforcement.

As with many modern controversies, we are told there are two sides to this issue. Critics denounce the actions as sacrilegious, arguing against using religious symbols for ideological purposes.Defenders claim they are adapting the Gospel message to contemporary issues, prompting reflection on applying jesus’s teachings to current times.

However, there is a limit to this relativism. In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye contemplates each challenge his daughters present, weighing options: “‘On the one hand….’ ‘On the other hand….’ ‘On the other other hand ….'” But when Chava marries outside the faith, he firmly declares, “‘No! There is no other hand!”

Suburban Boston and other Catholic venues need a Tevye.

A manger scene – especially one in public – has a clear purpose: to