I have a theory about why militant atheists are so hostile towards believers.
They're afraid we're right.
That's not it at all. We just get a little tired of being treated like second class citizens when we have to accomodate the wishes of christians. This whole "war on christmas" argument is a perfect example..
You file suits against us for our decorations and holiday displays, claim to be offended when someone wishes you happiness on December 25th and are pissed off when we use words like "war on Christmas? How friggin hypocritical can you people get?
A Nativity scene in the park does you no harm yet you ask the government to pass judgments restricting the free exercise of religion.
Christians do not, in any way, seek to stop atheists from practicing their belief system, because we feel the Constitution protects you as much as us.
I would fight any attempt by my city to finance a religious holiday display. That would violate the "establishment clause. But simply allowing others to use public property for such a display, doesn't bother me in the least.
Public property belongs to Christians as much as it does to anyone else and passing an ordinance or a court order prohibiting religious displays violates the free expression clause.
Lawsuits can only be filed against government entities engaged in a potential Establishment Clause violation, not against private citizens engaged in Christian displays of faith in a private venue.
If a Nativity scene is placed on government/public property with no other symbols of other religions or secular symbols, and its primary purpose is to promote religious dogma, then an Establishment Clause violation claim is perfectly appropriate because its potentially in violation of the Constitution.
The government is not passing judgment restricting the free exercise of religion because its un-Constitutional to conjoin church and state in a manner prohibited by law.
Christians remain free to practice their faith in any manner they see fit, save that of an official endorsement of Christianity by the state.
Atheists have no belief system, and the Constitution protects their right to remain free from faith just as it protects the right of Christians to have a belief system.
That the use of public property for religions displays doesnt bother you isnt at issue, as such displays, depending on their configuration and intent, may indeed be in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
And that public property belongs to Christians as much as it does to anyone else is also not the issue, as when the government acts in a manner that complies with the Constitution and its case law concerning religious displays on public property, and prohibits those displays accordingly, it in no way manifest a violation of religious free expression.