A religious liberty organization has awarded a group of Texas residents for pushing back against attempts to remove a nativity scene outside a local courthouse. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty announced that they were giving the inaugural “Tiny Tim Toast” award to the citizens of Sweetwater. Locals showed up in droves to protest the removal of the Nativity scene outside of the Nolan County Courthouse. Sweetwater is a small town of 10,000 west of Abilene.
Carolyn Anne Frawley wrote a letter to the local newspaper last week to express her opposition to the Nativity display on public property. She conspicuously left Christian” uncapitalized in her letter. She did however manage to capitalize “Jewish,” “Muslim,” “atheist” and “freethinkers.” Frawley raised issues of separating church and state.
In her letter, she wrote, “Not all residents of Nolan County are of one religion. There are people who are Jewish and maybe even Muslim and of course Atheist. Yes, we do exist even though many christians choose to ignore or use intimidation to keep Freethinkers whispering instead of speaking out.” She was notably the only person who spoke out against the display in a public meeting.
She ranted that “The Obvious christian law display must be removed from our public property. The Nolan County Courthouse is a representative and place for government business for ALL Nolan County residents, not just christians.” She went on to say “The religious display should be removed from the Nolan County courthouse lawn. It is a taxpayer-supported public building where county and city business is conducted. It is not a church and the display is an over-Christian display.”
KTXS, a local TV station, noted that eight people spoke in favor of the Nativity display. Authorities took no action on the issue and the display remains outside of the courthouse. Mark Rienzi, the CEO and president of, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, praised the residents of Sweetwater who showed up in solidarity with the embattled display.
Rienzi told the Christian Post “When the humbug spirit tried to snuff out Sweetwater’s cherished Nativity scene, the locals stood their ground with unshakable resolve. God bless them for the courage they showed in the face of adversity — it should be an inspiration to all those who wish to keep the Christmas and Hanukkah season sacred.”
The “Tiny Tim Toast” replaced the annual “Ebenezer Award,” which highlighted “the most outrageous offenders of the holidays.” This year the group decided to focus on “an individual or group who inspires hope and perseverance in the face of adversity during the Christmas and Hanukkah season” instead. The residents of Sweetwater earned their award.
“Every Christmas and Hanukkah season, there are some bureaucrats and activists who seek to shut out the lights on religious displays and expression,” the CEO said. “This year, Becket is happy to raise a hearty toast to all those who stood firm against these efforts, unwavering in defending faith’s rightful place in the public square. Here’s to you, the citizens of Sweetwater, Texas, for keeping the faith.”