(Image source: The Morning Call)

BY EMILY SPAIN

You're watching multisource U.S. news analysis from Newsy. 

Nativity scenes have filled a park in Santa Monica, California every holiday season for nearly the past six decades. But this year a group of atheists wanted a voice; and told baby Jesus to get lost.

The atheists, led by activist Vix Damon, applied to the city for spaces at the park that normally the church group gets to itself. All the extra applications forced the city to use a lottery system to give out the plots this year.  The results? Atheists - 18 plots, Christians - 2, compared to their typical 14.  

President of the nativity project Hunter Jameson told The New York Times it’s not fair, and argues the atheists are suppressing the churches’ First Amendment rights.

“Rather than use it to put forth a message of their own, they’ve really shown that their goal is just an effort to take something away rather than give anything to the community... They’re trying to censor something that the community has clearly shown it appreciates.”

But Vix argues the nativity scenes are “blatant government support of religion.” And put up signs reading things like “Religions are all alike -- founded upon fables and mythologies.” A CNN blogger puts it this way:

“The atheists are declaring the politically left-leaning seaside town of Santa Monica as their latest battleground in a national movement to assert their rights.”

And co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation Anna Laurie Gaylor deems the situation... “one of the cutest success stories of the season.”

But a blogger for LA Snark wonders if Santa Monica is really the place for this argument, noting the community is generally tolerant of a wide variety of beliefs.

“Santa Monica’s Nativity scenes are not exactly the world’s biggest threat to religious freedom, nor are the suburban, liberal Christian churches who put them up every year. I think perhaps people like the Ayatollah in Iran might have an edge in that category. Or the late, beloved Leader Kim Jong-Il. With so many legitimate threats to religious and political freedom in the world, it comes across as just kind of stupid to attack a bunch of chintzy, decorated mannequins.”

The Santa Monica Daily Press says but wait a minute... what about the Jewish religion? -- noting the atheists didn’t say anything about the nearly 60 menorahs scattered around town.  

“That may be because, aside from one in Palisades Park, another on the Santa Monica Pier and a third on the Third Street Promenade, all of the menorahs are on private property... Even the ones that are on public land seem to get a pass from activists.... And so, the menorahs continue.”

And finally an opinion writer for the Morning Call argues that even if you don’t believe in Christmas, you shouldn’t snub out history.

“While hardly anyone believes that Poseidon existed, Jesus and Saint Nicholas are historical figures. We can argue about their historical significance, but not about the fact that most Americans celebrate their memory. George Washington may not have tossed a coin over the Potomac, but that doesn't mean the government should ban the public celebration of the Fourth of July to protect the delicate feelings of royalists.”

According to ABC, Vix doesn’t live in Santa Monica.