nativity

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Joseph, Mary Get Engaged at Mich. Nativity Scene

Couple also met while playing Joseph and Mary last year

(Newser) - Joseph proposed marriage to Mary—in Michigan. Joe Maurer and Kate Heinlein became engaged during a break from portraying the parents of Jesus Christ. They were re-enacting the Nativity earlier this month for thousands of people at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Blumfield Township, near Saginaw. Dressed as Joseph, Maurer dropped...

Town to Man: Take Down Zombie Nativity

Township says he's in violation of zoning regulations

(Newser) - A suburban Cincinnati township has ordered a man to kill off his large "Zombie Nativity" scene. Sycamore Township has sent Jasen Dixon two notices of zoning violations after, officials say, they received complaints about debris at the home and upon inspection concluded the nativity violates rules on size and...

Gitmo Troops Want Nativity Scenes Removed

Group of 18 says they unfairly promote Christianity

(Newser) - One of those annual nativity scene controversies has sprung up, but this time in an unusual place: Gitmo. Several troops at Guantanamo Bay lodged a protest with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation about nativity scenes put up inside two dining facilities, reports the Navy Times . They say the scenes promote...

Pope: There Were No Animals at Birth of Jesus

The animals are a myth though virgin birth was real, he writes in new book

(Newser) - Nativity scenes—even the one at the Vatican—are getting it wrong when they depict donkeys, camels, and other animals present at the birth of Jesus, according to Pope Benedict XVI. Though Jesus may have been born in a stable, there is no mention of the animals in the Gospels...

This Year's Nativity Flap: the 'Atheists Won'

Judge's ruling will likely end 60-year Santa Monica tradition

(Newser) - After almost 60 years of displaying Nativity scenes in a public park, Santa Monica Christians may be out of luck: A judge yesterday tentatively ruled to bar such scenes, and all other seasonal displays, from public spaces. The fight between the Christian groups and atheists began a few years back,...

Catholic League Threatens Daily Show Boycott

Jon Stewart used racy Nativity scene in bit attacking Fox News

(Newser) - Jon Stewart's attempt to tweak Fox News earlier this week has the Catholic League threatening to organize a boycott of his Daily Show. Leaders are furious about a bit that aired Monday that strategically placed a Nativity scene over a naked woman's private parts. It was part of...

O Little Town of Bethlehem, Packed With Tourists

Faithful flock to Church of the Nativity

(Newser) - There wasn't any room at the inns today as thousands of faithful thronged the streets of Bethlehem to worship at Christ's biblical birthplace. Visitors snapped photos at the 50-foot-tall Christmas tree at Manger Square and received blessings from Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, the head of the Catholic Church...

California Atheists Snap Up Nativity Spaces

Christians get just 2 of 21 spaces in Santa Monica park

(Newser) - Santa Monica's Christians are crying foul over a lottery system that has left 18 of the 21 park spaces that usually hold Nativity scenes in the hands of atheists. A Jewish group snagged another spot, leaving the California city's church with just two spaces and only enough room...

Joseph von Nazareth Hits Twitterverse
Now on Twitter: Joseph von Nazareth

Now on Twitter: Joseph von Nazareth

He tweets in German, is upset about Mary's pregnancy

(Newser) - There might not be room at the inn, but you can always squeeze 140 characters onto Twitter. Joseph of Nazareth, aka Joseph von Nazareth because he tweets in German, has taken to the Twitterverse to broadcast his tiny family's tribulations this Christmas, reports Der Spiegel . "Do you have...

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