Fire stations across the country have decorated like this for years, and it has not pushed the United States down the slippery slope toward a religious state. If anything, Gallup polls show that the number of people who consider religion important in their lives has dropped nearly 10 percent in the last decade.
It’s not like there was a shrine to Christianity in the tax collectors’ office or city hall; there was no implied “thou shall worship,” no banner proclaiming “Charleston: Proud Sponsor of Religion.”
This is a fire hall, a place where firefighters essentially live. Since they have to stay there around the clock, waiting to save our houses, it’s only fair that they get to add a few touches of home. If they want a manger, what’s the harm?