Atheist group says Kelowna Christmas display is 'privileging Christianity'

A local atheist organization says the City of Kelowna may be violating a Supreme Court ruling over the Christmas nativity scene that's display at the foot of Bernard Avenue.

When the Christmas nativity display appeared at the foot of Bernard Avenue it also included signage that read "Keep Christ in Christmas."

After complaints were heard, the city had the signs removed, but the rest of the display remains.

The Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists Association (KASHA) is glad to see those signs are gone, but still takes issue with how the display came about.

"The City of Kelowna specifically requested that the Knights of Columbus to put up this display," claims KASHA spokesperson Nina George.

She said it goes against a 2015 Supreme Court Decision ruling that said governments need to be neutral on such matters.

"By asking just a Christian group to put up this display, they're going against this ruling," said George.

"Did they ask the Hindu people if they could do a Diwali festival here?"

She said her group is not demanding the display be taken down, at least not this year.

But they do want to send the city a message.

"By asking just one group for their festival display on public land for three weeks, they are privileging Christianity."

George points out that the assumption that people in Kelowna are majority Christian is incorrect.

She points to the 2021 census.

"It's actually 54% ticked-off the box that they are not religious."

Saturday Sazaran, who also represents the group, says they are not out to cancel Christmas.

"Christmas is for everybody," he said.

"We're celebrating too. It's a fun event," added George.

KelownaNow asked the pair how comfortable they are speaking publicly as atheists.

"I think we're going to find out soon," said Sazaran, with a laugh.

"That's why we like public spaces to be neutral, so we don't have to carry that burden all the time of having to explain our existence."

The Knights of Columbus set up the display following the city's permitting process.