Lynch v. Donnelly

Lynch v. Donnelly, 465 U.S. 668 (1984), was a United States Supreme Court case challenging the legality of Christmas decorations on town property.[2] The plaintiffs brought the suit to the District Court of Rhode Island, which permanently enjoined the city from displaying the Nativity scene as a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.The Court ruled that the crèche has a legitimate secular purpose within a larger holiday display to celebrate the season and the origins of Christmas which has long been a part of Western culture.The Court also stated, "no inquiry into potential political divisiveness is even called for" because the situation does not involve direct aid to church-sponsored organizations and because the crèche been displayed for 40 years with no problems.[...] The proper inquiry under the purpose prong of Lemon, I submit, is whether the government intends to convey a message of endorsement or disapproval of religion.A law which fails this test is found to be unconstitutional because it "endorses" religion or religious beliefs in such a way that it tells those who agree that they are favored insiders and those who disagree that they are disfavored outsiders.
Supreme Court of the United StatesL. Ed. 2dU.S. LEXISPawtucketEstablishment ClauseWarren E. BurgerWilliam J. Brennan Jr.Byron WhiteThurgood MarshallHarry BlackmunLewis F. Powell Jr.William RehnquistJohn P. StevensSandra Day O'ConnorUnited States Supreme CourtRhode IslandPawtucket, Rhode IslandChristmasSanta ClausChristmas treeSeason's GreetingscrècheDistrict Court of Rhode IslandFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionCourt of Appeals for the First CircuitcertiorariChief Justice BurgerJustices WhitePowellRehnquistO'ConnorLemon v. KurtzmanCongressFirst AmendmentChaplainsSenateThanksgivingJustice O’ConnorLarkin v. Grendel's Den, Inc.Endorsement testJustices BrennanMarshallBlackmunStevensChristmas controversiesCounty of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties UnionCornell Law ReviewUnited States First AmendmentMarsh v. ChambersBoard of Trustees of Scarsdale v. McCrearyVan Orden v. PerryMcCreary County v. American Civil Liberties UnionPleasant Grove City v. SummumSalazar v. 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