A Kelowna group with concerns over a holiday sign in the downtown core has apparently got their wish.
Each year, the Knights of Columbus put up a nativity scene display as part of the downtown Christmas decorations. The Knights go through a permitting process to do this, according to the City of Kelowna.
This year, a sign saying "Keep Christ in Christmas" was part of the display, upsetting some people in the community, including the Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists Association (KASHA).
However, the sign has since been removed. According to the city, the sign wasn't part of the permit. It was taken down on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
On Monday, Dec. 9, (KASHA) expressed in a letter that it understands the nativity scene is part of Christmas symbols like "lights, festive trees, and other decorative displays." But KASHA had concerns with the "Keep Christ in Christmas" sign.
"This message is not merely festiveB次元官网网址攊t is political, advocating for a specific religious interpretation of the holiday," said KASHA in its letter to Black Press Media.
"It may appear inoffensive and inconsequential for the city to endorse one religion so overtly. But it is important to understand that this does impact people of other faiths, and people who have no religious beliefs. It makes them feel less Canadian."
Capital B次元官网网址 has reached out to Knights of Columbus for comment.